Chourides, Pieris

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the phenomenon of strategic agility thought various theoretical lenses, with the ultimate objective being to identify those critical factors and mechanisms that contribute towards the development of strategic agility. While the concept of strategic agility has been gaining momentum among various key scholars, there is an outstanding gap in the literature regarding the way that critical factors among different theoretical views and disciplines can be codified and connected to provide a holistic model that enables organizations to cultivate strategic agility capabilities. Specifically, several studies that emphasize on strategic agility, identify critical factors in a single theoretical perspective, and yet the literature and empirical studies lack a holistic approach that integrates all the factors in order to provide a comprehensive overview to the field. Design/Methodology/Approach: This paper follows a narrative literature review and focuses on two main streams. Firstly, it defines the nature, and the main capabilities of strategic agility, and secondly discusses the main critical factors that facilitate strategic agility as those emerge from various theoretical perspectives. Findings/Results: The literature review indicates that strategic agility is characterized by three meta-capabilities, namely, strategic sensitivity, leadership unity, and resource fluidity and those capabilities enable organizations to participate in high-velocity competitive environments, while facing fast-paced changes in different directions. Paradox theory, ambidexterity and strategic change are found to be crucial for achieving strategic agility, where factors related to knowledge management, information technology, leadership, and human resources management specifically are identified as equally important. Originality/Value: The overall aim of the research is to bridge the gap in the literature by providing a holistic investigation towards strategic agility, as the title clearly suggests. This paper serves as a conceptual foundation based on which empirical studies can examine the integration of those factors and their intra/inter relations that enable the cultivation of the meta-capabilities of strategic agility.

Knowledge management (KM) has emerged in recent times as a phenomenon with wide-ranging implications for organizational innovation and competitiveness. Supporters argue that as organizations understand the value of KM, they have the opportunity to establish long-term internal strengths, which will lead to external competitive advantage. Further, we find the current literature advocates that KM can be implemented in every organizational discipline. KM is approached from several different perspectives, and a number of these are used to structure our paper and identify emerging factors in: strategy, human resources management (HRM), information technology (IT), total quality management (TQM), and marketing. This paper presents a summary of key responses to a recent survey of FTSE 100 companies conducted by the authors, which shows that KM is an extremely popular management topic, yet relatively few organizations have serious implementation programs in place. Also presented are findings from longitudinal studies of six case organizations, which have been approaching and deploying KM over the last three years. The academic arguments for organizations to be proactive in KM are strong and compelling. Our research identifies the critical factors that respondents feel are vital for successful KM implementation, and these provide a basis for a further stage of the study which considers how best to develop appropriate performance measurements.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to increase awareness of the critical role of "managerial leadership" in total quality management (TQM) implementation in UK higher education institutions (HEIs), and to encourage further research on how to sustain management and leadership best practices for total quality improvement in higher education. Design/methodology/approach - A critical review of the literature on managerial leadership provides the theoretical scope which led to the setting of research objectives. The objectives were achieved through a survey of academics and non-academics responsible for teaching and research quality improvement in a sample of 42 UK HEIs between the period 2000 and 2005. A mix of questionnaires, interviews, inductive analysis and hypothesis testing, was used to explore, describe and to explain the nature of the relationship between the degrees of efficiency and effectiveness of quality management practices in the participating UK HEIs. Findings - The analysis of the survey results revealed "weak" associations between the degrees of efficiency and effectiveness in the quality management practices adopted by participating UK HEIs. It provides examples of weak quality management practices as empirical evidence of "weak" association between "management efficiency" and "leadership effectiveness" in UK HEIs. Research limitations/implications - International generalization of findings requires the sample size to be increased to include more HEIs from the UK and other countries with similar educational systems. Further quantitative research is needed to provide in depth explanation of the nature of the functional relationship between the degrees of effectiveness and efficiency of quality management practices in higher educational settings. Practical implications - Understanding the nature of the association between the degrees of effectiveness and efficiency of quality management practices would provide a conceptual framework which would enable academics and practitioners to reflect critically on the "efficiency" and "effectiveness" of teaching and research quality improvement decisions and actions to ensure successful implementation of TQM best practices. Originality/value - Uses the degrees of efficiency and effectiveness as criteria for evaluating managerial leadership in UK higher education, and recommends strengthening of the association between the criteria through continuous improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of teaching and research quality improvement practices.

Purpose: The purpose of this research study was to examine the correlation, if any, between knowledge and performance management and associated strategies employed by today's organizations to increase stakeholder and shareholder value. Design, methodology: Each strategy was individually examined using the quantitative causal method research design in order to examine the relationship/correlation of the level of knowledge and performance activities within participant organizations, and then collaboratively examine their inter-relations. The independent variables and the dependent variables vary in each correlational research questions. Findings: The findings endorsed that effective use of organizational explicit knowledge and efficient performance are practices worth doing. Correlations between knowledge and performance and innovation and value added were found to be relatively strong. A moderately strong predictive correlation between effective implementation of knowledge strategy and performance was also found and presented, and similar findings showing a moderately strong predictive correlation between effective implementation of performance strategy and innovation are also established and shown. Practical implications: Organizations can increase and create vital added value to both stakeholders and shareholder members by implementing effectively a holistic approach as an integrated part of routine practices that enhances knowledge creation and exceptional performance, which will contribute to superior results - tangible and intangible ones. The practical implications of this research will contribute to the academic discipline of knowledge and performance management. Paper relevance: This paper will contribute to the debate regarding the linking of knowledge and performance management. Further, this paper will contribute to the in-depth analysis/discussion of the importance of knowledge in innovation and velocity management.

This paper seeks to contribute to the debate about the current status and future directions for Total Quality Management (TQM) and Business Excellence. The review of literature examines the foundations of TQM and Business Excellence, the critical issues involved in implementation, and the evidence of impact on performance. The primary research seeks to investigate these issues further by studying TQM implementations in companies over a number of years. Primary research includes a longitudinal case study analysis of 20 organisations (1996-2004), a discourse analysis based on interviews with staff engaged on TQM implementation, and a questionnaire survey. The results identify that there are significant issues with the way TQM is being implemented, and that these may be contributing to negative feelings and a reduced level of interest. Our conclusions suggest that in many cases TQM has lost its way. We discuss the reasons for this and propose that a root and branch review is necessary to re-vitalise interest. This we believe will require a significant re-positioning of TQM, a different approach to implementation, and a return of focus to its core values.

The recent discovery of hydrocarbons, in large quantities, in Cyprus has brought to the surface, fundamental issues dealing with previously unknown and unchartered, locally, territories. In a sort time, Cyprus will have to transform itself, from a services oriented economy to a hydrocarbon producing and trading economy. The local energy storage industry comprises of small energy storage facilities (7 companies) in a congested area. The plan for the next five years, includes the construction (some of it has already been done) of big energy producing and storage facilities. By default some—if not all—of the existing safety officers and workers, will be part of the new era. The aim of the study was to measure a number of parameters that make up safety culture. In particular—based on previous literature—parameters such as the existence of safety policies, safety performance, safety climate and other were measured with the use of a survey tool in the form of a questionnaire.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how knowledge assets and corporate social responsibility jointly influence the market value of a firm. In the contemporary knowledge-driven economy, where competitive advantage is based on intangible and intellectual capital, this paper emphasizes the strategic significance of knowledge assets, open innovation, and sustainable development practices in creating and maximizing market value. By employing multiple regression analysis on panel data for ten financial years, the study examines the optimal composition of knowledge assets and the impact of CSR initiatives on firm value. Key findings highlight a crucial threshold leading to the peak of market value, approximately when knowledge assets account for about 36% of a firm’s total non-current assets. Further, this study demonstrates that maintaining a balance between internally developed knowledge assets and external acquisitions significantly enhances value, correlating with the cultivation of a capitalization ability. Finally, this paper shows that corporate social responsibility emerges as a substantial driver of generating firm value, suggesting that integrating these practices into corporate strategic decisions not only aligns with ethical goals but also enhances market valuation. The insights from this study offer valuable perspectives for both academic researchers and industry professionals, advocating for a well-balanced approach to corporate asset management and underscoring the strategic importance of incorporating corporate social responsibility.

Amidst the fluidity of today's post-COVID business environment, this paper aims to fortify the discourse on strategic agility, by presenting a comprehensive best practice framework for its development and sustenance. This is achieved by carrying out an empirical investigation on four best practice multinational corporations. Despite abundant scholarly attention, a critical gap persists in the empirical examination of specific functional practices and their role for fostering strategic agility. This research fills this void, leveraging in-depth interviews with strategic-level managers and analyzing archival data, revealing that strategic agility necessitates a systemic approach and congruent efforts across organizational functions. Key findings underscore the role knowledge management as the linchpin, with corresponding emphasis on dynamic talent management, strategic partnerships, open innovation, digitalization, and sustainability. As a result, this paper contributes to the strategic management literature by offering practical insights for managers of global businesses in navigating the complexities of a rapidly evolving competitive landscape towards organizational excellence.

This paper investigates the effects of knowledge assets on firm's value. Developing knowledge assets has been gaining momentum in recent years under the lens and scope of knowledge management. However, there is an ongoing debate regarding the optimum level and combination of knowledge assets that would lead to firm's value maximization. The aim of this paper is to provide a resolution to this debate by investigating how knowledge assets affect firm's value and competitiveness in a real market context. By means of accounting indicators data, an examination is carried out on the identifiable knowledge assets derived from company annual reports. Consequently, the impact on firm's value over time is explored via multiple regression analysis using panel data. As a result, the optimal structure/balance between internal and external knowledge assets that lead to maximum market value is explored. The main findings show that knowledge assets generate greater firm value when they are coupled with complimentary assets. Additionally, externally acquired knowledge is equally important as knowledge which has been developed from internal research and development efforts. As a result, it is shown that an optimal balance between internal and external knowledge assets leads to greater firm value. Note that while similar studies tend to explore the impact of knowledge assets on various aspects, such as international and innovation performance, little has been done to investigate the impact of knowledge on the overall value of the firm. The presented study is not limited to product development, but it takes into consideration the capitalization of those products in the real market context. Thereby, managerial implications are explored, and suggestions are given on specific structures of knowledge assets that maximize organizational value.