Agile Capabilities for Innovative and Imitating Firms A Framework for Mobile Handset Industry


Journal of Management Research

ISSN: 0972-5814 Online ISSN: 0974-455X

Agile Capabilities for Innovative and Imitating Firms A Framework for Mobile Handset Industry


Meenakshi Jakhar and Sangeeta Shah Bharadwaj


Abstract

Agility is considered as the new paradigm of 21st century firms operating in VUCA environment. The traditional agility literature dwells on generic agile capabilities that a firm needs to develop in order to attain agility. However, firms differ on their market strategies and different strategies may entail different agile capabilities. In other words, a firm’s strategy should be aligned with its agile capabilities. There is a lack of research exploring the relationship between a firm’s strategy and agile capabilities that best fits that strategy. The paper aims at proposing that strategy of a firm is a critical determinant for the agile capabilities that it needs to develop. A conceptual framework is proposed for identifying the key agile capabilities for two contrasting firm level strategies – Innovation and Imitation. The theory of dynamic capabilities is used as theoretical background. The conceptual framework has been substantiated through two secondary case studies in the mobile handset industry.

 


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