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The primary aim of this research was to investigate the mediating effect of the decision-making structure on the relationship between perceived environmental uncertainty and hospital performance.

Online and manual survey questionnaires were used to collect data in this study. The target population of this study consists of all middle managers within 11 COVID-19 referral hospitals in Surabaya. A total of 189 responses were collected, however, 27 incomplete responses were excluded from the final dataset. Data was analyzed using SEM-PLS.

The study's findings indicate that decision-making structure plays a role in mediating the link between perceived environmental uncertainty and hospital performance assessed via the Balanced Scorecard, highlighting the significance of flexible decision-making processes during uncertain periods. Moreover, based on our supplementary test, respondents' demographic characteristics influence their perceptions of hospital performance.

Hospital administrators can consider the significance of decision-making structures in responding to environmental uncertainties like the COVID-19 pandemic. By fostering adaptable decision-making processes and empowering middle managers, hospitals may enhance their performance and resilience in challenging situations. Additionally, based on supplementary tests, it is found that differences in the perception of the three Balanced Scorecard perspectives imply that hospitals categorized as types A, B, C, and D should prioritize specific areas to improve their overall performance.

This research adds substantial originality and value to the existing body of knowledge by exploring the interplay between decision-making structures, environmental uncertainty, and hospital performance. It contributes to the literature by specifically focusing on the Covid-19 pandemic, a unique and unprecedented global crisis.

This study aims to examine the impact of environmental scanning on organizational resilience through organizational learning based on organizational information processing theory (OIPT) in Egyptian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, this study aims to examine the moderating role of environmental uncertainty in this relationship.

The data for the mediation analysis was obtained using a cross-sectional design. Using a self-administered questionnaire, the authors collected data from a sample of 249 Egyptian SMEs. The authors tested the hypotheses using the smart partial least square structural equation modeling approach.

Organizational learning affects organizational resilience. Environmental scanning does not have a direct effect on organizational resilience. However, organizational learning fully mediates the relationship between environmental scanning and organizational resilience. Furthermore, environmental uncertainty does not moderate the indirect relationship between environmental scanning and resilience.

The sample included only Egyptian manufacturing SMEs. The results in the service sector and in other countries may differ. This study was cross-sectional, which was limited in its ability to trace the long-term effects of environmental scanning and organizational learning on organizational resilience.

Egyptian SMEs’ managers should experience organizational learning as a pathway for environmental scanning to build organizational resilience.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the role of environmental scanning in building organizational resilience through organizational learning and the moderating role of environmental uncertainty in this relationship.

This study aims to extend ambidexterity theory from the perspective of organisational learning and examine how process ambidexterity, which comprises operational flexibility and operational routine, responds to environmental uncertainty and ultimately reduces organisational risks.

This study tests the hypotheses by analysing 464 annual reports of 115 listed companies in the Chinese agricultural and food industry using content and secondary data analyses. Four case studies are also provided.

The results show that (1) environmental uncertainty has a positive effect on either operational flexibility or operational routine; (2) both operational flexibility and operational routine have negative effects on organisational risks, supporting the view that process ambidexterity mediates the relationship between environmental uncertainty and organisational risks; and (3) organisational slack plays the role of “double-edged sword” by negatively moderating the effect of environmental uncertainty on operational flexibility and positively moderating the effect of environmental uncertainty on operational routine.

In an uncertain environment, companies are exposed to greater risk. This study contributes to risk management in three ways: first, it extends ambidexterity theory to process management and proposes how process ambidexterity balances operational flexibility and routines. Second, it distinguishes between the different conditions under which flexibility or routines are superior. Third, it explains the mechanisms related to how organisations can resolve environmental uncertainty into risk through process ambidexterity.

While uncertainty has always been a feature of the healthcare environment, its pace and scope are rapidly increasing, fueled by myriad factors such as technological advancements, the threat and frequency of disruptive events, global economic developments, and increasing complexity. Contemporary healthcare organizations thus persistently face what is known as “deep uncertainty,” which obscures their ability to predict outcomes of strategic action and decision-making, presenting them with novel challenges and threatening their survival. Persistent, deep uncertainty challenges us to revisit and reconsider how we think about uncertainty and the strategic actions needed by organizations to thrive under these circumstances. Simply put, how can healthcare organizations thrive in the face of deeply uncertain environments? We argue that healthcare organizations need to employ both adaptive and creative strategic approaches in order to effectively meet patients' needs and capture value in the long-term future. The chapter concludes by offering two ways organizations can build the dynamic capabilities needed to employ such approaches.

This paper analyzes the effects of environmental uncertainty on the use of Management Control Systems (MCS) and product and process innovation.

The hypotheses were tested with data from a survey carried out with 140 managers of innovative Brazilian firms using structural equation modeling.

The analyzes show significant negative effects of environmental uncertainty on MCS use and non-significant ones on product and process innovation, which suggests that when environmental uncertainty increases, the MCS use decreases. In contrast, significant positive effects of MCS use on product and process innovation were found, despite environmental uncertainty permeating innovation. However, no mediating effect of the MCS use on the relationship between environmental uncertainty and innovation was observed.

This study presents implications to the management literature grounded on the Contingency Theory by pointing out negative effects of environmental uncertainty on MCS use and product and process innovation. This encourages research on other contingency factors that might be predictors of MCS use and innovation.

The findings provide evidence that the analyzed organizational practices (MCS use and innovation) are conceived and implemented to disregard external stimuli, which may bring dysfunctional consequences that need to be monitored.

The study contributes by revealing that environmental uncertainty inhibits the MCS use and does not favor innovation. It was expected that MCS that produce information about the external environment would be valued and would have effects on the strategic planning in these firms.

This study examines the direct and indirect effects of social capital on supply chain performance via supply chain quality integration (SCQI), which refers to integrating supply chain partners from the perspective of quality management. It also examines the moderating role of environmental uncertainty in the link between social capital and SCQI and determines the conditional indirect effect of social capital on supply chain performance via SCQI.

Data were collected using a time-lagged research design through a self-administered survey of supply chain professionals in manufacturing firms in Pakistan. Hayes’ PROCESS Macro was used to test the hypotheses.

The results show a positive relationship between social capital and supply chain performance. SCQI partially mediates the relationship between social capital and supply chain performance. Environmental uncertainty significantly moderates that relationship in such a way that firms that operate under high environmental uncertainty are more likely to use their social capital to develop SCQI than firms that operate under low environmental uncertainty.

The study has practical implications for managers who seek to implement SCQI practices using social capital. Leveraging social capital across the supply chain fosters strong connections and a quality-oriented approach across the supply chain, and improves overall performance. Managers can use the power of social capital to navigate environmental uncertainty.

This study’s originality lies in its drawing on the dynamic capability theory and contingency theory and integrating the dispersed scholarly work on social capital, SCQI, and supply chain performance under the boundary condition of environmental uncertainty.

In a dynamic and complex environment, employees’ creative performance (CP) can be essential in developing a distinguished and competitive strategy for an organization. Using the lens of competency management, this study aims to examine how employees perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU) and competency formula relate to employee CP, with a focus on the hospitality industry.

The data was collected from employees in the hospitality sector. Both symmetrical (PLS-SEM) and asymmetrical (fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis [fsQCA]) tests were performed to gain in-depth knowledge of how individual, organizational and environmental factors can be configured to explain employees’ CP.

The symmetrical analysis shows that the competency formula mediates the negative impacts of PEU on two dimensions of creativity – that is, novelty and utility. The fsQCA testing generated contrasting findings and revealed that uncertainty, along with the formula elements, is a unique antecedent condition and opportunity for employees’ CP. The inconsistent findings indicate asymmetrical and complex relationships between the proposed antecedents and outcomes in the case of employee creativity.

A combination of symmetrical and asymmetrical approaches is necessary to uncover the complex relationships among employees, organizations and the environment. This study shows that organizational agility, competency strategies and comprehensive strategic management processes can be configured to explain positive outcomes for organizations during uncertain circumstances. The findings can be used by human resource practitioners to maximize employee creativity and enhance organizational performance.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to use symmetrical and asymmetrical testing to address the inadequacy of explaining employee CP in complex and uncertain environments, and highlight the crucial role of the competency formula in enhancing novelty and utility dimensions of CP. This research examines the impact of various internal and external factors (i.e. individual, organizational and contextual) on employee creativity within the hospitality industry.

This study aims to analyze the determinants influencing Chinese manufacturing companies in implementing lean manufacturing (LM).

The determinants to be explored in this study consist of technological, organizational and environmental (TOE) dimensions. A questionnaire survey was conducted on Chinese manufacturing companies, and 208 samples were analyzed.

The findings show that the relative advantage of LM and organizational support have significantly positive effects on Chinese manufacturing firms’ adoption of LM. The complexity of LM, quality of human resources, organizational readiness, customer pressure, international situation, governmental support and environmental uncertainty do not have significant effects.

This paper contributes to the literature by using the TOE model to explore the factors influencing LM adoption in the Chinese manufacturing industry.

Supply chain literature highlights that environmental uncertainty (EU) encourages firms to integrate their business strategies and develop strategic flexibility (SF). The authors’ use the dynamic capability view (DCV) to explain why the EU motivates firms to develop SF and integrate business strategies for better supply chain coordination (SCC) and enhanced performance. This study tests the role of SCC as a mediator between (1) business strategy integration (BSI) and operational performance, and (2) SF and operational performance. The study also measures the contingent effect of structural constructs on the relationship between EU, BSI and SF.

Data of 356 firms drawn from the continuous innovation network (CINet) are used in this paper. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to test the direct, indirect and moderation hypotheses.

The paper finds that EU enhances SF and BSI. Further, BSI has a significant positive impact on SCC that drives operational performance. The paper also finds that SF has no direct impact on SCC rather it affects SCC through BSI. SCC mediates the relationship between (1) SF and operational performance, and (2) BSI and operational performance. The organization's structural factors including connectedness and formalization moderate the effect of EU on BSI and SF.

The paper extends debate at the interface of supply chain risk and strategy literature and provides a specific understanding of the “external-internal-external” mechanism in the context of the turbulent business environment. This mechanism helps to understand why and under what structural conditions EU (external) leads to BSI and SF (internal). Further, BSI and SF (internal) help firms to manage SCC (external) effectively that in turn improve operational performance.