Strategic agility through improvisational capabilities: Implications for a paradox-sensitive HRM

Miguel Pina e. Cunha; Emanuel Gomes; Kamel Mellahi; Anne S. Miner; Arménio Rego

doi:10.1016/j.hrmr.2019.100695

Strategic agility through improvisational capabilities: Implications for a paradox-sensitive HRM

Miguel Pina e. Cunha, Emanuel Gomes, Kamel Mellahi, Anne S. Miner, Arménio Rego

Research output: Journal Publication › Article › peer-review

108 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Organizations, especially, multinationals, inevitably confront contradictory challenges. One crucial challenge is the value of strategic consistency versus the value of rapid change related to unexpected problems, opportunities and fast moving trends. Accentuating the previously planned strategy can reduce temporal responsiveness; accentuating the immediate problems/opportunities can harm overall consistency. Strategic agility offers a potential path to resolve this paradoxical situation. In this article we advance a vision in which firms nourish improvisational capabilities in order to enhance strategic agility. We develop six HRM domains of action that can enhance effective improvisation and can inform the practice of a paradox-informed HRM. We discuss their implications for HRM-based strategic agility, paradoxical HR, and improvisation.

Original language	English
Article number	100695
Journal	Human Resource Management Review
Volume	30
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2019.100695
Publication status	Published - Mar 2020
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Improvisation
MNCs
Paradox
Paradoxical human resource management
Strategic agility
Strategy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Applied Psychology
Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

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10.1016/j.hrmr.2019.100695

Cite this

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abstract = "Organizations, especially, multinationals, inevitably confront contradictory challenges. One crucial challenge is the value of strategic consistency versus the value of rapid change related to unexpected problems, opportunities and fast moving trends. Accentuating the previously planned strategy can reduce temporal responsiveness; accentuating the immediate problems/opportunities can harm overall consistency. Strategic agility offers a potential path to resolve this paradoxical situation. In this article we advance a vision in which firms nourish improvisational capabilities in order to enhance strategic agility. We develop six HRM domains of action that can enhance effective improvisation and can inform the practice of a paradox-informed HRM. We discuss their implications for HRM-based strategic agility, paradoxical HR, and improvisation.",

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AU - Cunha, Miguel Pina e.

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AU - Mellahi, Kamel

AU - Miner, Anne S.

AU - Rego, Arménio

PY - 2020/3

Y1 - 2020/3

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Strategic agility through improvisational capabilities: Implications for a paradox-sensitive HRM

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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