Disentangling organizational agility from flexibility, adaptability, and versatility: a systematic review

Eskedar Gizat Desalegn (), Maria João Coelho Guedes, Jorge Filipe Silva Gomes and Shiferaw Mitiku Tebeka
Additional contact information
Eskedar Gizat Desalegn: Addis Ababa University
Maria João Coelho Guedes: Lisbon University
Jorge Filipe Silva Gomes: University of Lisbon
Shiferaw Mitiku Tebeka: School of Commerce, Addis Ababa University

Future Business Journal, 2024, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: Abstract Organizational agility is the ability of an organization to swiftly and efficiently respond to changes in the organization’s environment. However, the literature demonstrates the interchangeability of agility, flexibility, adaptability, and versatility. Therefore, confusion and conceptual overlap persist. As a result, this study aimed to provide further conceptual clarity about organizational agility by synthesizing organizational agility, flexibility, adaptability, and versatility. A systematic review of 40 articles published in business and management-related journals between 1991 and 2022 in ABI/INFORMS, Since Direct, Emerald databases are employed. Findings from thematic analysis and content analysis using Leximancer text mining analysis show that versatility, adaptability, and flexibility are closely connected with their focus on coping with change in the business environment. However, agility is distinct due to its emphasis on organizational ability, capability, and changeability, as well as how it conceptualizes these attributes. This review contributes to developing organizational agility theory and practice by disentangling organizational agility from related concepts. Specifically, it contributes to scientific communication by referring to the same phenomena as organizational agility. Finally, the study concludes by highlighting future research directions.

Keywords: Organizational agility; Flexibility; Adaptability; Versatility; Organizational change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1186/s43093-024-00405-6 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

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:spr:futbus:v:10:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1186_s43093-024-00405-6

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://fbj.springeropen.com/

DOI: 10.1186/s43093-024-00405-6

Access Statistics for this article

Future Business Journal is currently edited by Soad Kamel Rizk and Hayam Wahba

More articles in Future Business Journal from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().