Existing research on strategic agility has identified several « meta-capacities » necessary for managers to maintain a dynamic fit between the firm strategy and its competitive environment. But, as agile strategies imply radical decisions and complex processes of fast reconfiguration of resources, they also increase the complexity and risks of corporate strategies, and may make competitive advantage less sustainable. Accordingly, this article proposes an extended model of strategic agility integrating resource sensitivity, a distinct meta-capacity enabling to mitigate these strategic risks. To understand how resource sensitivity can be developed and nurtured, this article develops an in-depth embedded process study of a major European actor in the automotive industry, engaged in an agile strategy involving a profound reconfiguration of its R&D resources. We show how the firm, through its middle and top management, successfully developed resource sensitivity within the firm. We analyze the case and discuss the implications of our model for strategic agility.
Although most MNE have engaged into sustainability programs, academics as well as practitioners still lack models and methodologies to analyze the internal evolutionary processes related to sustainability and CSR within corporations. Accordingly, this communication proposes a research framework and a methodological approach to investigate sustainable enterprise evolution. Grounding our analysis on Basu & Palazzo's model of CSR (2008) as a sensemaking process, we complement their model by differentiating sensemaking processes among individuals, countries and business functions within the firm. We then show how the model can be operationalized using mixed methods (i.e. by combining quantitative and qualitative methods) to study sustainable enterprise evolution. We discuss the academic and empirical relevance of the model, and illustrate its potential by presenting an ongoing research project with ASICS, the fourth biggest worldwide sport apparel manufacturer.
