The dual role of flexibility in driving innovation ambidexterity and firm performance
Thi Thanh Huong Tran,
Maud Van den Broeke and
Nicholas G. Paparoidamis
Journal of Business Research, 2025, vol. 194, issue C
Abstract:
Extant research on the impact of flexibility on firm performance has yielded conflicting results, limiting scholarly and practical advancements on the topic. Drawing on the Dynamic Capability View and Flexibility Paradox, we explore how three distinct dynamic flexibilities – product, mix, and volume flexibility – influence firm performance through innovation ambidexterity. We test our model using survey data and lagged archival financial performance data from 209 companies operating in France, collected at multiple time points. Our results reveal a dual role for these dynamic flexibilities in shaping performance outcomes. Specifically, all three dynamic flexibilities enable performance gains through innovation ambidexterity. At the same time, they exert distinct moderating effects on the link between innovation ambidexterity and firm performance. Only product flexibility amplifies the positive effect of innovation ambidexterity on performance outcomes while, paradoxically, mix and volume flexibility weaken this effect. Our study advances theoretical knowledge and provides valuable managerial implications.
Keywords: Product flexibility; Mix flexibility; Volume flexibility; Innovation ambidexterity; Dynamic capabilities; Firm performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:
Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296325001377
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.
Export reference: BibTeX
RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan)
HTML/Text
Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:194:y:2025:i:c:s0148296325001377
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115314
Access Statistics for this article
Journal of Business Research is currently edited by A. G. Woodside
More articles in Journal of Business Research from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().