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Presents an original integrated production performance measurement system (IP2MS) based on a model able to examine simultaneously several production performances of different operation centres of a firm. The need for an integrated examination of the performances is of crucial importance for today’s manufacturers in order to achieve a competitive advantage. Obtains a quantitative and homogeneous appraisal of the production performances; furthermore, identifies activities responsible for the major differences between actual and desired levels of performance. The proposed model has been empirically tested in some significant medium‐large enterprises of Northern Italy.

The traditional strategic model of industrial organization is criticized by the upholders of the theories that regard the resources and competencies of a firm as the source of its competitive advantage. This article presents these new strategic dictates in a critical form, examining the reasons that justify the striking interest being taken by researchers and managers, but also the limits of those principles, some intrinsic others that can be overcome by an integration with tradition. As a consequence, the article presents a framework which attempts to relate the constituent elements that distinguish the two main strategic theories and shows that both must be considered for strategic planning and performance management.

Present‐day competitiveness has brought about a marked evolution in supply management, imposing on firms an increasingly close interaction with suppliers. The achievement of high‐level performances in terms of cost, quality and time to market appears ever more dependent on the quality and effectiveness of the supply network. This transformation modifies the traditional adversarial model of the buyer‐supplier relationship and fosters the reconfiguration and integrated management of the supply chain. At the same time, competitive dynamics and current global competing models encourage the extension of traditional sourcing areas. Analyses these evolutionary aspects of the current supply environment and examines the new role of the purchasing function.

Describes a production scheduler, which utilizes a hybrid push/pull approach to scheduling and exploits the expert system technology in order to obtain satisfactory solutions. The scheduler is applied to a multi‐stage production and inventory system, managed by make‐to‐order, with a large variety of incoming orders. The search for solution is made in respect of the due‐dates and under efficiency constraints (minimum lot, maximum storehouse levels, etc.). Considers order aggregation, both at portfolio and production level. Provides a dynamic rescheduling mechanism. Outlines theoretical arguments in favour of the scheduler and notes practical advantages as a consequence of the application of the scheduler in a firm which utilized a traditional despatching system.

Analyses the dimensions of service in the co‐operative buyer‐supplier interaction and presents an interpretative scheme which links some of the basic service management concepts with some critical aspects in the current supply environment. On the basis of the results from a case study of the Zanussi Appliances Company (Electrolux Group), examines the dimensions of service in the co‐operative buyer‐supplier relationship. Discusses the main organizational and operational implications.

The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic review of flexibility, to identify the gaps in theory and to propose a future research agenda.

This paper combines a systematic review and thematic analysis of scholarly articles of flexibility. The articles are analyzed to explicate the dynamics of flexibility in service operations. Thematic analysis was done using NVIVO 10.0 to identify key approaches, trends and future research agenda.

The review reveals ten different themes that highlight the future research avenues and points out that an integrative framework to assess the field of flexibility, particularly in developing countries, is largely missing in the literature. The study also provides a set of research questions to enhance its explanatory power.

Articles that explicitly mention “flexibility” were only included, however, there may be several unexploited areas regarding the influence of different variables on flexibility. The study is based on the inductive analysis of 650 published articles on flexibility retrieved from the electronic database. The framework proposed in the study is conceptual and requires empirical testing in future research.

The study synthesizes the flexibility literature and contributes to a set of ten distinct themes that extricate the dynamics of flexibility. The study provides a comprehensive review of the relevant articles and identifies the theoretical gaps in the research area of service operations flexibility that can be used by academia and industry for promoting flexibility.

To cope with the existing pandemic situation and to be organizationally responsive, firms need to be strategically flexible, where they need to develop dynamic capabilities (DCs) by continuously reconfiguring their resource base. To address such challenges, firms heavily rely on information and communication technologies (ICT) because of advancement in disruptive technologies. This study aims to explore techniques used by higher education institutional (HEI) leaders to successfully address challenges posed by global disruption, i.e. COVID-19 with the help of advanced ICT software such as Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.

A qualitative approach was adopted to explore strategic factors such as strategic flexibility (SF) and DC that disclose shortcomings in the current extant literature. A total of 15 interviews were conducted with heads of departments of HEIs in the United Arab Emirates. Data were analyzed using NVivo software.

The findings suggested three dimensions of SF (resources, operational and collaborative) and four dimensions of DC (strategic planning, innovative, adaptability and technological) for firms to adopt to be strategically flexible, where DC serves as building blocks of SF.

This research provides a framework as an avenue for future researchers and practitioners on how to strategically manage their resources and be strategically flexible in turbulent environment such as pandemics. Theory-based investigations on strategic capabilities and DC from resource-based perspective are still under-researched, emphasizing the need for theoretically based research on strategic responsiveness, especially during the times of environmental complexities such as COVID-19 pandemics. This research enriches strategic management research by exploring the important antecedents of organizational responsiveness, including SF and DC together with the support of human factor, i.e. leadership qualities of HEIs managers. This study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, is among the first to systematically explore main dimensions of DC and SF based on the resource-based theory of strategic management in the Middle Eastern context.