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.
