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In this paper we develop a model for researching the influence that a board of directors can have on improving an organization’s sustainability performance. Our model explores sources of cognitive flexibility of boards needed to recognize and respond to the need for improved sustainability performance. We first define concepts of sustainability, sustainability competence, and sustainability performance. We then analyze two forms of board capital (a board’s human capital and its social capital) and three aspects of a board’s information processing (its patterns of information search, discussion and debate, and information absorption) that we suggest affect a board’s cognitive flexibility and thereby influence whether a board decides to adopt sustainability performance goals. Our model also suggests that an organization’s strategic flexibility – as represented by its current endowments of resource flexibilities and coordination flexibilities – will moderate the relationship between a board’s decision to adopt sustainability performance goals and an organization’s subsequent achievement of those goals. We also suggest that our model is generally relevant to any research seeking to predict the influence of boards on strategic change in many forms, not just to research focused on sustainability issues.

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.

As the manufacturing industry is under pressure to face the global competition, it is necessary to improve productivity and reduce costs through minimization of wastage of resources for their survival. This paper aims to present an analysis of the status of resource flexibility and lean manufacturing through conducting a case study in an Indian textile machinery manufacturing company and also demonstrate the various areas of future scope for improving lean manufacturing.

The case study has been conducted using the flexible system methodology (FSM) framework (Sushil, 1994). For measuring resource (labour and machine) flexibility and lean manufacturing, various factors contributing towards labour flexibility, machine flexibility and lean manufacturing are identified. To determine their relative weights, an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) has been used. A specially designed questionnaire is used to collect the information during case study on different aspects of resource flexibility and lean manufacturing. SAP-LAP analysis has also been carried out to look in to the ways the company is building up resource flexibility and lean manufacturing.

The status of labour flexibility, machine flexibility and lean manufacturing is merely 49.30, 47.10 and 47.40 per cent, respectively. The most important factors of labour flexibility and machine flexibility attained a value of 59.50 and 61.17 per cent, respectively. Similarly, only 39.09 per cent wastes are eliminated through lean manufacturing. There is a huge scope to achieve a higher degree of lean manufacturing through focusing on continuous improvement, just in time (JIT) and resource flexibility factors.

The present study includes only labour and machines to compute the resource flexibility. Other resources may also be included to compute the overall resource flexibility.

The present study provides guidelines to analyze the status of resource flexibility and lean manufacturing. According to conclusions, frail areas in the manufacturing system can be identified and a suitable course of action could be planned for the improvement. Hopefully, this study will help the firm’s management to identify the problems to manage resource flexibility and implement an effective lean manufacturing.

In this work, the theoretical perspective has been used not only to update the original instrument, but also to study the subject from a perspective beyond that usually associated with resource flexibility and lean manufacturing.

Manufacturing industry is under pressure to improve productivity and reducing costs through minimization of wastage of resources. This paper aims to present case study of an automobile component manufacturing company to implement lean manufacturing through resource flexibility and also demonstrate the various areas of future scope for improving lean manufacturing.

The case study has been conducted using the flexible system methodology framework. For measuring resource (labor and machine) flexibility and lean manufacturing, various parameters contributing towards labor flexibility, machine flexibility and lean manufacturing are identified. To determine their relative weights, analytical hierarchy process has been employed. A specially designed questionnaire is used to collect the information during case study on different aspects of resource flexibility and lean manufacturing. SAP-LAP analysis has also been carried out, to look into the ways the company is building up resource flexibility and lean manufacturing.

Although all parameters of labor flexibility contribute towards overall labor flexibility but ability of workers to work on different machines has the maximum impact of 35.16 percent. Ability of machines to perform diverse set of operations has maximum contribution of 40.38 percent towards machine flexibility. Similarly elimination of waste is 35.15 percent responsible for lean manufacturing implementation. There is also a huge scope to achieve higher degree of lean manufacturing by implementing zero defects, changing attitude towards change and installing flexible machines. It is inferred that 76.2 percent of lean manufacturing is endorsed by resource flexibility.

The present study includes only labor and machines as the elements of resource flexibility. Other resources may also be included to compute overall resource flexibility.

The present study provides guidelines to assess the status of resource flexibility and lean manufacturing. According to conclusions, feeble areas in the manufacturing system can be identified and a suitable course of action might be planned for the improvement. Hopefully this study will help the firm's management to identify the problems to manage resource flexibility and implement an effective lean manufacturing.

In this work, the theoretical perspective has been used not only to update the original instrument, but also to study the subject from a perspective beyond that usually associated with resource flexibility and lean manufacturing.

Reports some of the findings of two years′ research work carried out within a number of manufacturing engineering companies both in the United Kingdom and Brazil. All the companies belong to the automotive industry. The objective of the overall research was to analyse the relationships between the variables of uncertainty, variability of outputs and flexibility in manufacturing systems. The findings are a co‐product of the overall research and are related to the flexibility of the structural (human and technological) manufacturing resources. Derives a new way of looking at stocks and its role in the manufacturing system′s flexibility.

This study aims to investigate how market orientation (MO) motivates firms to develop business model innovation and how such effects are moderated by strategic flexibility.

In this study, a questionnaire-based survey was undertaken to test the proposed hypotheses. The empirical study was conducted on a sample of 204 firms using two key informants (408 respondents) in China. The regression model is used to test the proposed model.

This research finds that both responsive market orientation (RMO) and proactive market orientation (PMO) have a positive effect on business model innovation. The effects of RMO and PMO on business model innovation are contingent on resource (coordination) flexibility in different ways. More importantly, this study finds that resource flexibility enhances the positive effect of RMO and weakens the positive effect of PMO. The study also finds that coordination flexibility enhances the positive effect of PMO.

Future research can explore the internal mechanisms through which RMO and PMO promote business model innovations. Although the study finds that both the MOs promote business model innovation, they may promote business model innovation through different mediating effects. Future research can explore the role of external dynamic capabilities. This research mainly focuses on the internal dynamic capability of focal firms. However, as a focal firm-centered boundary spanning activity system, to transform into a new business model, firms not only need to reconfigure internal resource base, but also need to realign external collaboration network.

This research also bears important managerial implications. First, firms should be aware of the positive effect of MO on business model innovation. Firms with higher level of RMO or PMO can promote business model innovation. Second, when firms implement RMO for business model innovation, managers should focus on resource flexibility. Where MO is responsive, marketing managers need to be concerned with ensuring various applications of existing resource so as to understand effectively the current customers and market domain. Third, to leverage PMO for business model innovation, firms should adopt coordination flexibility. For firms with higher level PMO, firms should try to find the new internal coordination process for customer latent needs.

The conclusion extends the business model innovation research from the view of dynamic capabilities. As one of types of dynamic capabilities, MO is also the important antecedent of business model innovation. Further, this research also discusses the role strategic flexibility plays in business model innovation.

The dynamic capabilities theory indicates that uncertain environments necessitate firms’ dynamic capability. This study aims to examine how dynamic capability can be shaped based on cooperative goal interdependence with supply chain partners by focusing on the mediating role of strategic flexibility and the moderating role of human resource flexibility.

Questionnaire surveys were administered to firm presidents, chief executive officers, chief human resources officers (CHOs) and other senior managers at 300 firms located in China. The data collection process was carried out in one wave with multiple sources. Of the firms contacted, the sample in this study consisted of 233 matched “CHO-other top manager” dyads. Structural equation modeling and the bias-corrected bootstrap method were used to test the proposed causal relationships, moderation model, mediation model and moderated mediation model.

Cooperative goal interdependence with both upstream companies and downstream companies was positively related to dynamic capability and strategic flexibility mediated these main effects. Moreover, human resource flexibility moderated the positive direct relationship between strategic flexibility and dynamic capability and the indirect relationships among cooperative goals, strategic flexibility and dynamic capability such that these relationships in companies with high human resource flexibility were stronger than these relationships in companies with low human resource flexibility.

The findings contribute to the literature on dynamic capability by providing empirical evidence regarding the relationships among cooperative goals, strategic flexibility, human resource flexibility and dynamic capability, which enriches the theory of cooperation and competition and suggests a new path to promote dynamic capability.

How do firms make effective strategic change when competitive advantage deteriorates fast in a dynamic environment? Based on information-processing theory and organizational inertia theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how bottom-up learning affects the speed and magnitude of strategic change and if these relationships are contingent on strategic flexibility.

Using data of 213 firms in China, the authors conduct an empirical test of hypotheses through a stepwise multivariate regression approach.

The empirical study suggests that resource flexibility weakens the positive relationship between bottom-up learning and the speed of strategic change while strengthens the impact of bottom-up learning on the magnitude of strategic change. In addition, coordination flexibility strengthens the positive impact of bottom-up learning on the speed and magnitude of strategic change.

The findings not only provide a more nuanced and in-depth understanding of strategic change, but also offer strong guidance for firms on how to make better use of strategic flexibility in order to benefit from bottom-up learning.

Strategic flexibility is largely considered a source of competitive advantage, yet strategic flexibility in relation to organizational resources and knowledge management (KM) process capability is not well studied. To address this gap, this study aims to assesses the relationship of organizational resources (technical and social resources) and strategic flexibility through KM process capability.

This paper is built on the assumptions of the resource-based view and the dynamic capability perspective of firm. Two types of organizational resources – technical and social – were identified from relevant literature. Data were collected from 23 small- and medium-sized firms (family owned firms) using a 37-item questionnaire. In addition to descriptive statistics, multiple hierarchical regressions and bootstrapping were used to test the study hypotheses.

Findings suggest that organizational resources are positively and significantly related with strategic flexibility, and KM process capability partially mediates these relationships.

The paper adds to strategic flexibility literature by exploring and assessing the linkage of organizational resources with strategic flexibility through KM process capability.

Findings of this research may help organizations and practitioners in enhancing strategic flexibility of firm.

Under currently uncertain and fast-changing environments, it is important for firms to supplement their main strategy with alternative ones so that they can quickly change courses of actions. Strategic flexibility is thus an important factor for the viability and success of firms. Although previous research has emphasized the need for strategic flexibility, some firms are reluctant to do so since it requires high investments. Existing studies on strategic flexibility have emerged from various disciplines and drawn on diverse theoretical perspectives. Due to the increasing importance of strategic flexibility, this chapter reviews and summarizes existing studies on strategic flexibility based on the applications of strategic flexibility in various business disciplines, including management and strategy, business entrepreneurship, and marketing. The authors also summarize different theoretical perspectives, including upper echelons theory, resource-based view theory, and dynamic capabilities theory, as well as their limitations.