نوع مقاله : پژوهشی
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Introduction
The contemporary business landscape, particularly within organizational contexts, is characterized by rapid and complex changes affecting all dimensions of operations—from internal processes to external environmental factors. In such conditions, organizations require high levels of flexibility and adaptability to survive and maintain competitiveness. This necessity is especially critical in Iran's oil and gas industry, which plays a vital role in the national economy while facing international sanctions and turbulent market dynamics. Companies in this sector must continuously enhance their strategic decision-making processes and adaptive capabilities to improve performance under competitive pressures. A key factor enabling organizations to respond effectively to environmental changes is the development of dynamic capabilities. These capabilities empower firms to integrate, transform, and update internal and external competencies in alignment with shifting conditions. Dynamic capabilities facilitate continuous redesign and improvement of resources, helping organizations maintain effectiveness in volatile environments. Strategic thinking represents a profound insight into current realities and timely exploitation of opportunities. It enables managers to accurately interpret market conditions, devise innovative solutions, and respond adeptly to changes. This cognitive approach accelerates organizational learning and fosters creativity in value creation. Historically rooted in military strategy, strategic thinking provides a shared framework for analyzing strategic issues. In modern organizations, it complements traditional strategic planning by emphasizing adaptability and future orientation. Organizational agility, as a dynamic capability, allows firms to reconfigure resources swiftly. It balances cost, time, quality, and scope while prioritizing speed and innovation. Agility also facilitates internationalization by converting explicit knowledge into experiential learning, enabling firms to identify optimal market positions rapidly.
Methodology
This applied research adopts a descriptive-survey methodology to examine the effect of strategic thinking on organizational dynamism, with organizational agility as a mediator. The study population comprises board members of 38 Iranian oil and gas companies (191 individuals), with a sample of 115 respondents selected randomly. Data collection utilized standardized questionnaires: a 21-item strategic thinking scale (Liedtka, 1998), 18-item organizational agility scale (Zhang & Sharifi, 2000), and 7-item organizational dynamism scale (Jalali, 2021). All instruments employed 5-point Likert scales. Reliability was confirmed via Cronbach’s alpha, while confirmatory factor analysis in SmartPLS verified construct validity. Due to non-normal data distribution, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for hypothesis testing.
Results and Discussion
The findings of this study demonstrate that strategic thinking has a significant positive impact on organizational dynamism in Iranian oil companies. This indicates that managers who employ strategic thinking are better able to align organizational resources with environmental changes and develop new capabilities to address challenges. Furthermore, the results confirm that strategic thinking also indirectly influences organizational dynamism through enhancing organizational agility. In other words, organizational agility serves as a key mechanism that improves an organization's ability to respond quickly to changes, thereby strengthening organizational dynamism. These results align with previous studies that have identified strategic thinking and organizational agility as critical success factors in dynamic and competitive environments. However, by focusing on Iran's oil and gas industry - which faces sanctions and environmental instability - this research provides deeper insights into these relationships. The study particularly shows that even in challenging conditions, organizations can develop the necessary dynamism for survival and growth by cultivating strategic thinking and enhancing agility. A notable aspect of this research is its emphasis on organizational agility as a mediating variable. This finding suggests that strategic thinking alone is insufficient for achieving organizational dynamism; organizations must also be able to implement this thinking through operational mechanisms like agility. Essentially, organizational agility serves as the bridge that translates strategic thinking into tangible actions and organizational outcomes. The study also reveals that the relationship between strategic thinking and organizational dynamism is not linear but rather mediated through multiple dimensions of agility. This complex interplay highlights the need for organizations to develop comprehensive strategies that address both cognitive (strategic thinking) and operational (agility) aspects simultaneously. The Iranian oil and gas industry's unique challenges, including international sanctions and market volatility, make this integrated approach particularly relevant. In practice, these findings suggest that oil and gas companies should focus on developing strategic thinking capabilities at all managerial levels while simultaneously investing in agile infrastructure and processes. The research indicates that organizations that successfully balance these elements are better positioned to navigate uncertainty and maintain competitiveness in turbulent markets.
Conclusion
This study establishes that strategic thinking drives organizational dynamism both directly and through agility in high-risk industries. For Iranian oil/gas firms, investing in strategic leadership development and agile infrastructure is imperative to mitigate external shocks. Future research should explore cultural moderators and longitudinal capability evolution. Practically, organizations should institutionalize strategic thinking through crisis simulation training and cross-functional team rotations, while policymakers could incentivize digital transformation to bolster agility. Ultimately, in turbulent markets, strategic thinking fuels agility, and agility sustains dynamism—a cyclical imperative for competitive survival.
کلیدواژهها English
1. AflakiFard, H. & Nikfarjam, S. & Qalanawi, M. (2019). Investigating the relationship between organizational entrepreneurship and organizational agility with the mediation of knowledge management in Marvdasht Boys Technical College. Bimonthly Scientific Research New Approach in Educational Management, 11(4), 263-278. (In Persian). DOI: 10.30495/JOM.2023.1976944.1075
2. Ahmad, W. N. K. W., Rezaei, J., Tavasszy, L. A., & de Brito, M. P. (2016). Commitment to and preparedness for sustainable supply chain management in the oil and gas industry. Journal of environmental management, 180, 202-213. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.04.056
3. Alipour, R. (2017). Evaluation of Organizational Dynamics and Investigation of its Effect on the Citizenship Behavior of Social Security Insured Persons (Case Study: Mako Social Security Organization). Master's Thesis Management Department, Executive Management, Islamic Azad University, Mako branch. (In Persian)
4. AlQershi, N. (2021). Strategic thinking, strategic planning, strategic innovation and the performance of SMEs: The mediating role of human capital. Management Science Letters, 11(3), 1003-1012. DOI: 10.5267/j.msl.2020.9.042
5. Asadi, A., & Asadi, I. (2025). Designing the model ambidextrous resources development in the oil industry with the approach of dynamic capabilities. Strategic Studies in the Oil and Energy Industry, 16(64), 225-244. URL: http://iieshrm.ir/article-1-1764-fa.html
6. Asadnia, A., CheshmehSohrabi, M., Shaban, A., & Taheri Demneh, M. (2021). Identifying key factors affecting on future of text information retrieval: A cross-impact analysis method. Iranian Journal of Information Processing and Management, 36(3), 861-892. (In Persian). DOI: 10.52547/jipm.36.3.861
7. Bai, B. Um, K.H. and Lee, H. (2023), "The strategic role of firm agility in the relationship between IT capability and firm performance under the COVID-19 outbreak", Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. DOI: 10.1108/JBIM-08-2021-0406
8. Baker, T., Campbell, S., & Ostroff, D. (2016). Independent school leadership: Heads, boards, and strategic thinking. Peabody Journal of Education, 91(5), 574-587. DOI: 10.1080/0161956X.2016.122716
9. Basco, R., Hernández-Perlines, F., & Rodríguez-García, M. (2020). The effect of strategic thinking on organizational agility: Evidence from SMEs. Journal of Business Research, 110, 385-393. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.01.048
10. Bonn, I. (2005). Improving strategic thinking: A multilevel approach. Leadership & Organizational Development Journal, 26, 336-354. DOI: 10.1108/01437730510607844
11. Choi, W., Goo, W., & Choi, Y. (2022). Perceived organizational support and knowledge sharing: a moderated-mediation approach. Sage Open, 12(2), 21582440221089950. DOI: 10.1177/21582440221089950
12. Claretha, H. (2010). "People as Technology" conceptual model: Toward a new value creation paradigm for strategic. Human Resource Development Review, 9, 48-71. DOI: 10.1177/1534484309353561
13. Dovbischuk, I. (2022). Innovation-oriented dynamic capabilities of logistics service providers, dynamic resilience and firm performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The International Journal of Logistics Management, 33(2), 499-519. DOI: 10.1108/IJLM-01-2021-0059
14. Ellinas, C., Allan, N., & Johansson, A. (2017). Dynamics of organizational culture: Individual beliefs vs. social conformity. PlOS one, 12(6), e0180193. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180193
15. Fadivar zinkanloo, H. , shekari, G. and emamgholizadeh, S. (2024). Designing a model for fostering organizational resilience based on organizational agility components. Management and Educational Perspective, 6(3), 176-195. (in Persian) DOI: 10.22034/jmep.2024.455051.1358
16. Felin, T., & Powell, T. C. (2016). Designing organizations for dynamic capabilities. California Management Review, 58(4), 78-96. DOI: 10.1525/cmr.2016.58.4.78
17. Ferreira, J., Cardim, S. & Branco, F. (2018). Dynamic capabilities, marketing and innovation capabilities and their impact on competitive advantage and firm performance. In 2018 13th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies (CISTI) (pp. 1-7). IEEE. DOI: 10.23919/CISTI.2018.8399271
18. Goldman, E. F. (2008). The power of work experiences: characteristics critical to developing expertise in strategic thinking, Human Resource Development Quarterly, 19(3), 217-239. DOI: 10.1002/hrdq.1237
19. Gyemang, M. & Emeagwali, O. (2020). The roles of dynamic capabilities, innovation, organizational agility and knowledge management on competitive performance in telecommunication industry. Management Science Letters, 10(7), 1533-1542. DOI: 10.5267/j.msl.2019.12.013
20. Haycock, K., Cheadle, A. & Bluestone, K. A. (2012). Strategic Thinking and Leadership. Library Leadership & Management, 26(3/4), 1-23. DOI: 10.5860/llm.v26i3/4.2635
21. He, J., Hu, C. & Lin, C. C. (2022). Service innovation, inter-organizational trust, and performance in hospitality platforms: social network and agency perspectives. Journal of Service Research, 10(7), 01-19. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.819371
22. Jalali, S., Keikha, A., Haddadi, E., Keshtgar, A., & Kamaliyan, A. R. (2021). Iranian Islamic intelligent Leadership Model with Soft Power Approach in Government Organizations. Iranian Pattern of Progress, 9(2). (In Persian) DOI: 20.1001.1.23295599.1400.9.2.4.3
23. Kais, I.H, & Daghir, M.A (2005). The measurement of strategic thinking type for top managers in Iraqi public organizations- cognitive approach. International Journal of Management Cases, 15(1), 34-40. DOI: 10.1108/10569210580000328
25. Liedtka, J. M. (1998). Strategic thinking: can it be taught? Long Range Planning, 31(1), 120- 129. DOI: 10.1016/S0024-6301(97)00098-8
26. Liu, S., Chan, F. T., Yang, J., & Niu, B. (2018). Understanding the effect of cloud computing on organizational agility: An empirical examination. International Journal of Information Management, 43, 98-111. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2018.07.010
27. Mao, H. Gong, Y. and Titah, R. (2023), "Understanding the relationship between IT capabilities and operational agility: a multi-method approach", Journal of Enterprise Information Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. DOI: 10.1108/JEIM-12-2021-0521
28. Mason, J. (1983). Developing Strategic Thinking. Long Range Planning, 19(3), 72-80. DOI: 10.1016/0024-6301(83)90157-7
29. Menon, S., & Suresh, M. (2020). Organizational agility assessment for higher education institution. Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera, 51(1), 561-573. DOI: 10.36872/LEPI/V51I1/301050
30. Mihalache, O. R., & Volberda, H. W. (2021). Business model innovation in transforming economies: A Co-evolutionary perspective for a global and digital world. Management and Organization Review, 17(2), 202-225. DOI:10.1017/mor.2021.14
31. Mintzberg, H. (1994b).The fall and Rise of Strategic Planning. Harvard Business Review, 72(1), 107-114.
32. Momeni, ّ. and Nematollahi, S. (2023). Political Economy of Industrial Policy in Iran. Development of humanities, 4(7), 67-96. (in Persian). DOI: 10.22047/hsd.2023.182088
33. Nickols, F. (2016). Strategy, strategic management, strategic planning and strategic thinking. Management Journal, 1(1), 4-7.
34. Noe, R.A., Hollenbeck, J.R., Gerhart, B.A. & Wright, P. M. (2017). Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage (10th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
35. O'Shannassy, T. (2006). Making Sense of the Strategic Thinking Literature to Help Build a New Model of this Mystrious Construct, Paper presented in ANZAM Conference, 2006, Queensland.
36. Pourkarimi, J. and Azizi, M. (2024). Organizational strategies in turbulent environment (A Meta-Synthesis study). Journal of Business Management. (In Persian). DOI: 10.22059/jibm.2024.375005.4774
37. Sett, P. K., & Ketkar, S. (2010). Environmental dynamism, human resource flexibility, and firm performance: Analysis of a multi-level causal model. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 21(8), 1173-1206. DOI: 10.1080/09585192.2010.483841
38. Shafique, I., Kalyar, M. N., Shafique, M., Kianto, A., & Beh, L. S. (2022). Demystifying the link between knowledge management capability and innovation ambidexterity: organizational structure as a moderator. Business Process Management Journal, 28(5/6), 1343-1363. DOI: 10.1108/BPMJ-11-2021-0713
39. Shuen, A., Feiler, P. F & Teece, D. J (2014), Dynamic capabilities in the upstream oil and gas sector: Managing next generation competition. Energy Strategy Reviews, 3, 5-13. DOI: 10.1016/j.esr.2014.05.002
40. Tajeddini, K., Martin, E., & Ali, A. (2021). Enhancing hospitality business performance: The role of entrepreneurial orientation and networking ties in a dynamic environment. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 92, 102722. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102722
41. Tallon, P. P., Queiroz, M., Coltman, T., & Sharma, R. (2019). Information technology and the search for organizational agility: A systematic review with future research possibilities. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 28(2), 218-237. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsis.2018.12.002
42. Teece, D. J. (2018). Business models and dynamic capabilities. Long Range Planning, 51(1), 40-49. DOI: 10.1016/j.lrp.2017.06.007
43. Tennant, M., & Pogson, P. (1995). Learning and change in the adult years: A developmental perspective. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
44. Vares, S. H., Mohammadian, A., & Kargar Shouraki, M. (2023). Sustainable Business Model Innovation in the Digital Age Based on the Dynamic Capabilities Approach. Journal of Business Management, 15(1), 54-84. (In Persian). DOI: 10.22059/jibm.2021.323237.4116
45. Walter, A. T. (2021). Organizational agility: ill-defined and somewhat confusing? A systematic literature review and conceptualization. Management Review Quarterly, 71(2), 343-391. DOI: 10.1007/s11301-020-00186-6
46. Wang, C. L., & Ahmed, P. K. (2007). Dynamic capabilities: A review and research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 9(1), 31-51. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2370.2007.00201.x
47. Wang, X., Dass, M., Arnett, D. B., & Yu, X. (2020). Understanding firms’ relative strategic emphases: An entrepreneurial orientation explanation. Industrial Marketing Management, 84, 151-164. DOI: 10.1016/j.indmarman.2019.06.009
48. yazdanpanah, S. and Shafiei Nikabadi, M. (2022). The Effect of Knowledge Management Capabilities on Organizational Agility with an Emphasis on the Role of Strategic Flexibility and Organizational Learning. Management Studies in Development and Evolution, 31(106), 155-190. DOI: 10.22054/jmsd.2022.68796.4180
51. Žitkienė, R., & Deksnys, M. (2018). Organizational agility conceptual model. Montenegrin journal of economics. Podgorica: Economic Laboratory Transition Research Podgorica-Elit, 2018, vol. 14, iss. 2. DOI: 10.14254/1800-5845/2018.14-2.7
