Journal of Strategic Management Studies

Journal of Strategic Management Studies

Absorptive capacity, strategic agility and the internationalization of exporting companies

Document Type : Research

Author
Assistant Proffesor, Faculty of Management, Ershad Damavand Institute, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Introduction
Recently, the role of absorptive capacity and dimensions of strategic agility in facilitating the internationalization of companies have been considered from different angles in the national and international arena, and their interactive effects have been analyzed at different levels. The importance of the skills and abilities necessary to achieve strategic agility is focused on those specific functions of human resources that promote the skills and capabilities required for strategic agility in entrepreneurial companies. The angles of effective management of entrepreneurial teams in different fields have revealed the importance of the relationship between strategic agility and human resource management. Therefore, in this study, the relationship between absorptive capacity and strategic agility is considered and the question is raised, how is absorptive capacity through strategic agility capabilities related to facilitating the internationalization of exporting companies?
Methodology
According to the theoretical foundations, the research hypotheses and the conceptual model of internationalization facilitation are presented. The research strategy is a survey type and in terms of a descriptive method, which has been tested in an exploratory-correlational way, the relationships of the research model and using a combined questionnaire, to measure absorptive capacity from the study of Flatan et al., strategic agility capabilities and facilitating internationalization from dose studies; and Cheng et al. and Samer have been used. From the statistical population of exporting companies, the number of 38 exporting companies of the national sample in 1400 has been selected as a statistical sample. 
Results and Discussion
Based on the test of relationships, the most important relationship is related to the structure of strategic sensitivity, which has the highest factor loading (0.921) for the index "The company has effective communication to exploit strategic intelligence". After that, the most important relationship is related to the structure of "selecting strategic technological knowledge goals". This structure has a higher factor load for its four indicators, the most important of which is related to the index "strategic challenges of customers (related industries) identified in the present and future.", and the second index is "technological knowledge goals to face the strategic challenges of the determined industry." Is". These two indicators have factorial values of (0.845) and (0.785), respectively. This value of the factor load indicates the importance and significance of the relationship of this construct, which shows its descriptive power and significance from a statistical point of view. The lowest significant coefficient is related to the path (continuous innovation → internationalization) and the lowest statistical value (0.400) indicates the weak relationship of this construct with the issue of absorption capacity and facilitation of internationalization through strategic agility capabilities. According to the above, in order to facilitate the process of internationalization through absorption capacity, it is necessary to provide a greater understanding of the mediating role of strategic agility capabilities, and consider the degree of influence of the independent variable on the facilitation of internationalization and considering the coefficient of determination of about 65%, another study The variables influencing the facilitation of internationalization can be explained.
Conclusion
To facilitate the process of internationalization through absorption capacity, it is necessary to provide a greater understanding of the mediating role of strategic agility capabilities, consider the degree of influence of the independent variable on the facilitation of internationalization, and consider the determination coefficient.  The relationship test of the research model shows the important role of absorptive capacity in the selection of goals and capabilities of strategic agility and effective communication for exploiting strategic intelligence. The most important relationship is related to the structure of strategic sensitivity, and after that, the selection of strategic technological knowledge goals, the understanding value of useful knowledge in the environment, and the ability to convert it into efficiency. After that, the level of identifying the strategic challenges of customers in the present and the future is strategic for choosing technological knowledge goals. This empirical evidence supports the argument that international activities and the facilitation of the internationalization of the company are highly dependent on the process of absorptive capacity through strategic agility in the company. In this way, strategic agility helps managers to recognize the importance of knowledge evolution in the context of specific international business and to increase strategic alignment with precise orientation and strategic agility capabilities. This point requires specialists to emphasize strengthening organizational ability, especially having a set of management knowledge and strategic agility. Also, managers should carefully select target markets that have a similar culture. The precise step-by-step orientation of managers from the management of actions, towards the recognition of more strategic alignment, through the capabilities of strategic agility from emerging issues and new balance. Creating this balance or alignment, and how you use your time to focus on wise curiosity, is of vital importance.
Keywords

Subjects


  1. Cheng, C., Zhong, H., & Cao, L. (2020). Facilitating speed of internationalization: The roles of business intelligence and organizational agility, Journal of Business Research, 110, 95-103. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.01.003
  2. Ahammad, M. F., Glaister, K. W., & Gomes, E. (2020). Strategic agility and human resource management, Human Resource Management Review, 30(1), 100700. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2019.100700
  3. Doz, D. (2020). Fostering strategic agility: How individual executives and human resource practices contribute, Human Resource Management Review, 30. DOI: 1016/j.hrmr.2019.100693
  4. Kale, E., Aknar, A., & Başar, Ö. (2019). Absorptive capacity and firm performance: The mediating role of strategic agility, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 78, 276-283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.09.010
  5. Flatten, T.C., Greve, G.I. & Brettel, M. (2011). Absorptive capacity and firm performance in SMEs: the mediating influence of strategic alliances, Manag. Rev. 8 (2), 137–152. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-4762.2011.01015.x
  6. Gholipour, A., & Mohammad Ismaili, N. (2017). International and national standards for human resource management, Tehran: Mehraban Publishing Institute. (in Persian)
  7. Chung S. Young lee K. Kim K. (2017). Job performance through mobile enterprise systems: The role of organizational agility, location independence, and task characteristics, Information & Management, 51(2017). 617-605. DOI: 1016/j.im.2014.07.006
  8. Ghamkhari, S M, (2020) Providing a model of strategic agilitya determining its status in knowledge-based industries, Journal of Management of Governmental Organizations, 2(34), 137-152. DOI: 0.30473/ipom.2020.52908.409. (in Persian). https://doi.org/10.30473/ipom.2020.52908.4092
  9. Rashnavadi, , Sadeghvaziri, F., & Nosrat Panah, R. (2021). Improve company performance through knowledge management capabilities, strategic flexibility and strategic agility, Innovation Management in Defense Organizations 4(1), 79 - 106 (in Persian). https://doi.org/10.22059/jibm.2022.333405.4290
  10. Ghobadi, P., Saboonchi, R., & Foroghipur, H. (2022). The relationship between creativity, strategic agility, and human capital in the elites of the iranian gymnastics federation: more positive vision of more creative staff. Journal of Innovation Management in defensive Organization. 7(1), 9. (in Persian)
  11. Vishlaghi, M., Zarei, A., & Feiz, D., (2021). Designing strategic agility model for sustainable manufacturing boom based on grounded theory (Case Study: Automotive Industry), Journal of Improvement Management,15(2), 127-153. (in Persian) DOI: 29252/mbsp.2021.221598.1026
  12. Esazadeh, H.., Bagheri Ragheb, Gh., Kordnaeij, A., Karimi, A., & Soltani, M. (2021). Designing a model of forerunners and consequences of strategic agility in sports small and medium-sized businesses, Journal of Sport Management Review, 13(67), 202-224. (in Persian)
  13. Samer Abbu- Radi. (2013). Strategic agility and its impact on the operation’s competitive capabilities in jordanian private hospitals. Thesis submitted in partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of master in Business Administration, 1-136
  14. Tenenhaus, M., Vinzi, V., Chatelin, Y., et al. (2005). PLS path modeling. Computational Statistics & Data Analysis. 48, 159-205.
  15. Fornell, C., & Larcker, D.F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error, Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39-50. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312
  16. Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sinkovics, R. R. (2009). The use of partial least squares path modeling in international marketing. Advances in international marketing. 20, 227-320. DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_109_18
  17. Sanadgol, M. (2018). The survey of relationship between organizational agility and principals job satisfaction. International Journal of Basic Sciences & Applied Research, 3, 319-317. DOI: 52547/ieepj.3.3.332
  18. Shereiy B, Karwowski W. (2014). The relationship between work organization and workforce agility in small manufacturing enterprises. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. 44, 466-473. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ergon.2014.01.002
  19. Tallon, P.P., & Pinsonneault, A. (2011) Competing perspectives on the link between strategic information technology alignment and organizational agility: insights from a mediation model. Mis Q. 35(2), 463–486. DOI: 2307/23044052
  20. Biswas, S.S.N., & Akroyd, C. (2022). Management control systems and the strategic management of innovation, Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRAM-04-2021-0083.
  21. Abernethy, M. A., Dekker, H. C., & Grafton, J. (2021). The influence of performance measurement on the processual dynamics of strategic change, Management Science, 67(1), 640-659. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2019.3442.
  22. Simons, R., & Davila, A. (2021). How top managers use the entrepreneurial gap to drive strategic change, European Accounting Review, 30(4), 583-609. https:///doi/full/10.1080/09638180.2020.1792959.
Volume 15, Issue 57
Winter 2024
Pages 317-334

  • Receive Date 06 February 2023
  • Revise Date 27 March 2023
  • Accept Date 06 July 2023