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Managerial Paradox Toward Flexibility: Emergent Views Using Thematic Analysis of Literature

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Abstract

The organizational flexibility finds a substantial place in the literature; however, limited evidence of its institutionalization by managers is noticed. This paper analyzes the managerial paradox toward flexibility in managing business complexity, uncertainty handling, organizational reorientation, and structuring decisions across organizational functions. Thematic analysis is used to investigate the managerial flexibility paradox. The literature is identified in three categories related to workplace, frameworks or concepts, and business environment. It further shows two kinds of orientations: the first one deals with concerns in the implementation of flexibility, and the second showcases the concomitant benefits or performance. The literature related to concerns deals with uncertainty and risk management, while the performance-related literature deals with the augmentation of flexibility theories. The practicing manager seeks advice in the literature to implement the concepts of flexibility and finds its limited availability. This is the prime reason for the emergence of managerial paradox. This paper recommends that future contributions should emphasize the guidelines for flexibility adoption while expounding the flexibility theories. The findings presented in this paper can potentially draw the attention of academicians and practitioners to devise the ways to implement and enhance organizational flexibility.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bharat Electronics Ltd, Ghaziabad, UP, 201011, India

    Sanjai Kumar Shukla

  2. Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, 110016, India

    Sushil

  3. Delhi Technological University, Rohini, India

    Manoj Kumar Sharma

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Appendix

Appendix

Number of contributions and focus areas

Category of the identified literature

Context of the literature

Relevant contributions

Distinct focus areas

Contributions used for finding managerial flexibility paradox

Workplace

   

 Business processes

Concerns

10

6

 

Performance

8

5

 Sustainability

Concerns

3

1

 

Performance

4

3

 Strategy

Concerns

4

3

 

Performance

7

5

 Network/supply chain

Concerns

7

4

 

Performance

8

2

 Actors

Concerns

9

6

 

Performance

9

5

 Product

Concerns

4

3

 

Performance

5

3

Concepts and frameworks

   

 Concepts papers

Concerns

3

2

 

Performance

20

9

 Framework (application oriented)

Concerns

5

3

 

Performance

10

5

Business environment

   

 External environment

Concerns

7

3

 

Performance

7

4

 Internal environment

Concerns

3

4

 

Performance

6

3

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Shukla, S.K., Sushil & Sharma, M.K. Managerial Paradox Toward Flexibility: Emergent Views Using Thematic Analysis of Literature. Glob J Flex Syst Manag 20, 349–370 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40171-019-00220-x

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