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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the roles played by organizational learning (OL) and innovation in organizations immersed in the processes of adaptation and strategic fit in dynamic and turbulent environments. The authors analyze whether OL and innovation act as sources of strategic fit, and whether strategic fit positively affects performance.

The authors use data from a survey of a representative sample of 204 respondents from European firms active in high-technology sectors (response rate: 10.42 percent) and structural equation modeling (using the EQS 6.1 program) to undertake a transversal study.

The model confirms that OL and the capacity to innovate positively influence managers’ decisions to adapt their organizations to changes in dynamic environments. The achievement of strategic fit, in turn, improves organizational performance. The authors propose considering the innovation climate as a facilitator of new product and process development, although the innovation climate is not a direct antecedent of fit.

This study is limited by the fact that the analysis is cross-sectional and by the fact that all measures used are based on managers’ perceptions.

Managers should create and support an entrepreneurial culture that stresses continuous learning. They should also foster programs aimed at developing abilities, and promote the development of capabilities that facilitate acceptance of organizational change. Investments in building certain capabilities, such as OL and the capacity to innovate, are strategically justified, especially in turbulent environments.

This study is one of the first to investigate the complex interactions among OL, innovation, strategic fit, and performance. The results improve our understanding of the links between strategic fit and performance.

Increasing chances of firm survival requires enduring entrepreneurship or the ability to balance competing demands for exploration and exploitation. We developed how acquisitions can provide needed disruption to change a firm’s dominant orientation toward exploration or exploitation or enable a continued focus on a firm’s dominant orientation. The result is a new typology for acquisition integration associated with different pre- and post-acquisition characteristics. For example, a firm with an exploitation orientation faces different integration challenges in acquiring targets with an exploration or exploitation orientation. We also distinguished between human and task integration to enable more nuanced integration decisions that help to reconcile conflicting findings on acquisition integration decisions. Implications for management research and practice were discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how two multinational companies (MNCs) faced the challenge of market uncertainty and political instability in a newly emerging market, and how it affected the impact of their product marketing strategy (PMS) and product (brand) performance.

A comparative longitudinal paired case study of a market entry by two global MNCs. Twelve global brands (products) were studied, which were locally manufactured and launched by the two MNCs during their first ten years of operation in Vietnam.

The authors approached the investigation from a conventional point of view: standardization versus adaptation. The results showed that in addition to these two traditional processes, a third one was also operating, which the authors labeled semi-adaptation, or the midway PMS. Semi-adaptation refers to a product that has been introduced to Vietnam from a neighboring country.

This research is based on two European MNCs active in the food and consumer-household goods industry in a newly emerging market: Vietnam.

This primary data indicate that the product standardization, semi-adaptation and adaptation process in practice is a technique applied to fit a product to a newly emerging market more by degree of change than by product category.

This paper supports a recent stream of research, which views Standardization or Adaptation as the two ends of the same continuum, where the degree of the firm’s PMS can range between them.

Strategic fit is known to be an important antecedent to a firm’s performance, but there is little research explaining its influence on firm’s environmental performance. This paper aims to propose that strategic fit is likely to affect two firm-level outcomes: dynamic equilibrium and dynamic disequilibrium.

Prior debate has underlined the role of adaptation vs selection in achieving strategic fit, but we assert that firms vary in their strategic fit. This paper models inter-firm differentials in environmental performance, using survey data from a sample of Chinese small and medium enterprises.

Transformative leadership, operational agility and knowledge-based identity facilitate compensatory fit, while productivity growth, strategic adaptability and low product-market maturity enable strategic fit.

The authors show how low strategic fit may provide selection advantages via compensatory fit. Some firms do seek to achieve greater fit to the embedded contextual contingencies (dynamic equilibrium) at the cost of their energy. However, others respond to the expectations for green performance that are presently orthogonal to the embedded context to realize compensatory fit using the energy of the context (dynamic disequilibrium). This manifests as differential capabilities for adaptation vs selection.

The findings highlight how the firms may use cultural fit pathway for transcending the phenomenological tradeoffs between economic performance-oriented strategic fit and ecological performance-oriented compensatory fit.

This paper shows how low strategic fit may provide selection advantages via compensatory fit. Some firms do seek to achieve greater fit to the embedded contextual contingencies (dynamic equilibrium) at the cost of their energy. However, others respond to the expectations for green performance that are presently orthogonal to the embedded context, to realize compensatory fit using the energy of the context (dynamic disequilibrium). This manifests as differential capabilities for adaptation vs selection.

Es conocido que el ajuste estratégico es un antecedente importante del resultado de la empresa, pero existe poca investigación sobre su impacto en el resultado medioambiental. Proponemos que el ajuste estratégico es probable que influya sobre dos resultados organizativos: equilibrio dinámico y desequilibrio dinámico.

El debate previo ha señalado el papel de la adaptación frente a la selección a la hora de lograr el ajuste estratégico, pero sin embargo nosotros aseguramos que las empresas varían en su ajuste estratégico. Modelizamos las diferencias entre empresas en cuanto a su rendimiento medioambiental utilizando datos de una encuesta de empresas pequeñas y medianas empresas chinas.

El liderazgo transformacional, agilidad operativa, e identidad basada en el conocimiento facilitan el ajuste compensatorio, mientras que el crecimiento de la productividad, la adaptabilidad estratégica y una baja madurez producto-mercado favorecen el ajuste estratégico.

Mostramos como un bajo ajuste estratégico genera ventajas en la selección vía ajuste compensatorio. Algunas empresas buscan un mayor ajuste a las contingencias del entorno (equilibrio dinámico) a costa de su energía. Sin embargo, otras responden a las expectativas sobre rendimiento medioambiental para alcanzar un ajuste compensatorio utilizando la energía del contexto (desequilibrio dinámico). Esto se manifiesta en forma de capacidades distintas para la adaptación frente a la selección.

Nuestros resultados subrayan como las empresas pueden usar el ajuste cultura para trascender los contrastes entre el ajuste estratégico orientado a los resultados económicos y el ajuste compensatorio orientado a los resultados medioambientales.

La investigación resalta el reto de integrar las presiones para adaptarse a la lógica ecológica predominante en la industria y los imperativos basados en el valor que apoyan la selección del ecosistema social apropiado para los grupos de interés. Enfatiza que el factor decisivo que influye de manera decisiva en la capacidad de la empresa para manejar las contraprestaciones económicas y ecológicas es la orientación cultural a favor del bienestar de las personas. Mediante un modelo integrador de desarrollo económico y ecológico a nivel nacional una empresa puede reducir los costes derivados del hecho de que algunos países puedan favorecer los intereses económicos a costa de los medioambientales y generar externalidades negativas.

Palavras-chave Resultados medioambientales, Crecimiento de la productividad, Liderazgo transformacional, Agilidad operativa, Adaptabilidad estratégica, Madurez producto-mercado

O ajuste estratégico é conhecido por ser um importante antecedente do desempenho da empresa, mas há poucas pesquisas explicando sua influência no desempenho ambiental da empresa. Propomos que o ajuste estratégico provavelmente influenciará dois resultados no nível da empresa: equilíbrio dinâmico e desequilíbrio dinâmico.

O debate prévio destacou o papel da adaptação versus seleção na obtenção de adequação estratégica, mas afirmamos que as empresas variam em sua adequação estratégica. Nós modelamos diferenciais entre firmas no desempenho ambiental, usando dados de pesquisa de uma amostra de pequenas e médias empresas chinesas.

A liderança transformadora, a agilidade operacional e a identidade baseada em conhecimento facilitam o ajuste compensatório, enquanto o crescimento da produtividade, a adaptabilidade estratégica e a baixa maturidade do mercado de produtos permitem um ajuste estratégico.

Mostramos como o ajuste estratégico baixo pode fornecer vantagens de seleção via ajuste compensatório. Algumas firmas buscam obter maior adequação às contingências contextuais embutidas (equilíbrio dinâmico) ao custo de sua energia. No entanto, outros respondem às expectativas de desempenho verde que atualmente são ortogonais ao contexto embutido, para realizar o ajuste compensatório utilizando a energia do contexto (desequilíbrio dinâmico). Isso se manifesta como capacidades diferenciais de adaptação versus seleção.

Nossas descobertas destacam como as empresas podem usar o caminho da adaptação cultural para transcender as compensações fenomenológicas entre o ajuste estratégico orientado para o desempenho econômico e o ajuste compensatório voltado para o desempenho ecológico.

A pesquisa destaca os desafios da cultura de trabalho de integrar as pressões para se adaptar à predominante ecologia industrial versus o imperativo dominante baseado em valores para selecionar o ecossistema social apropriado dos interessados. Isso enfatiza que o fator decisivo na capacidade formativa de uma empresa para promover compromissos econômicos e ecológicos é a orientação cultural para o bem-estar humano em uma plataforma nacional. Ao programar um modelo integrativo de desenvolvimento econômico e ecológico em nível nacional, uma empresa pode auto mitigar os custos da economia política internacional que surgem quando algumas nações trocam o bem-estar ecológico em prol de interesses econômicos e geram externalidades negativas.

Palavras-chave Palavras-chave Desempenho ambiental, Crescimento de produtividade, Liderança transformacional, Agilidade operacional, Adaptabilidade estratégica, Maturidade do Produto-Mercado

In business environments characterized by intense competition, globalization, rapid technological diffusion, accelerated product life cycles, and evolving industry boundaries, the ability of firms to adapt effectively to their changing environments is a strategic imperative (Hitt, Keats, & DeMarie, 1998; Nadler & Tushman, 1999). The exhibition of strategic adaptability – the ability of a firm to alter its alignment with the environment through reactive and proactive behaviors (Evans, 1991) – is a function of the goodness-of-fit that exists between the capabilities of a firm and the demands imposed by its relevant industry context (Burgelman & Grove, 1996). When firm capabilities are well aligned with industry success factors, those capabilities constitute strategic assets for the firm, or resources that lead to the achievement of competitive success in that context (Amit & Schoemaker, 1993). The possession of strategic assets thus contributes to a state of adaptation, defined by Chakravarthy (1982) as a state in which an organization exhibits the capacity to survive the conditions of its changing environment. Because of the constantly shifting nature of the environment, a state of adaptation is not a permanent settling point for the organization, but rather a moving target for the organization as it attempts to remain “mapped on” to the exigencies of the environment.

This paper aims to identify the archetypes of marketing mix standardization-adaptation in MNC subsidiaries and to examine the relationships between MNC subsidiary strategy, environment and performance through the theoretical lenses of fit and equifinality.

The authors use a mail survey to collect data from MNC subsidiary business units located in multiple countries. They apply a novel archetypal analysis method to identify the diverse archetypes of marketing mix standardization-adaptation in MNC subsidiaries. Finally, through cross-tabulation and regression analysis, they examine the relationships between MNC strategy, environment and performance.

They identify four archetypes of MNC subsidiary standardization-adaptation including a new archetype that is not recognized in the literature. This analysis finds partial support for both fit and equifinality, suggesting complementarity between the two theories.

The study could be extended with longitudinal data to examine the dynamics in MNC marketing mix strategy and performance in response to the changing business environment.

The findings suggest that MNC subsidiary managers could deploy a broader set of international marketing strategy configurations than those currently prescribed to enhance performance.

The authors use a novel configuration-based archetypal analysis method and extend the theoretical typology of international marketing strategies pursued by MNC subsidiaries. The partial support for both fit and equifinality expands the theoretical lens through which we can examine the relationships between MNC marketing strategy, environment and performance.

This study aims to propose that, in business-to-business (B2B) industries, number of strategic alliances firms established before a “black swan” event enhances their chances to survive the black swan, and the enhancements take place through moderation effects. Changes in firms’ core structures – their stated goals, authority structure, core technologies and marketing strategies – to adapt to business jolts have adverse effects on firm performance. Firms’ existing B2B strategic alliances moderate the effects negatively by outsourcing different goals, authority structures, core technologies and marketing strategies to partners who fit the changed environment.

This study collected quantitative data and analyzed the data with the regression method.

Using data from Chinese firms in five technology industries during the 2007–2009 economic crisis, this study finds that firms’ internal adaptation is negatively correlated with their performance during economic crises, and B2B strategic alliances negatively moderate this relationship.

First, this study focuses on B2B strategic alliances, and it is not clear whether the findings apply to B2C industries, where strategic alliances may not be common. Perhaps firms can use other means of survival in addition to strategic alliances in B2C industries. Second, this study does not differentiate between fast-moving and slow-moving industries, and it is not clear whether strategic alliances play the same role in both industries. Third, this study does not differentiate firm ages and sizes. It remains unclear how large, established and small, young firms differ when facing crises. Finally, this study is based on the Chinese setting, and it is not clear whether the findings apply to other markets as well. These issues should be explored in future studies.

Changing firms’ core structures harms their performance during black swan crises because such crises are unpredictable, and planned changes may not adapt firms to crises. Managers should not attempt to change their core structures during crises. B2B strategic alliances provide an effective means for firms to survive crises.

This paper makes two contributions to the existing literature: First, this paper demonstrates that changes of one of the four core structures of a firm to cope with black swan events have negative impacts on firm performance. Second, this paper identifies the importance of holding a variety of strategic alliances previously to the black swan events to reduce the negative impacts of changing core structures.

The author introduces a strategic responsiveness model that reflects an organization’s ability to sense environmental changes and learn from emergent adaptive responses that attempt to realign organizational activities and gain a better fit with the changing conditions. The author shows in computational simulations how superior strategic adaptation is associated with higher average returns and lower performance risk among firms that compete in the same industry contexts and generate negatively skewed outcome distributions consistent with empirical observations. The model is refined to incorporate an interactive strategy-making process, where experiential insights from decentralized initiatives update forward-looking projections in central planning. The ensuing analysis demonstrates how this adaptive strategy-making approach further enhances the favorable risk-return outcomes. The author discusses these findings and the implications for the study of dynamic adaptive strategy-making processes.