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.

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.