Strategic flexibility: a systematic review and future research directions

Abstract

PurposeStrategic flexibility (SF) has become an important factor for firm viability and success amidst uncertain and fast-changing environments. Firms should supplement their primary strategy with alternative ones to change courses of action whenever required. Despite these benefits, some firms are constrained by the high costs of investments. Hence, this paper aims to synthesize and systematically review extant empirical studies on SF and to provide suggestions for future research.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a systematic review following the Theory, Context, Characteristics, and Methods (TCCM) framework based on 88 journal articles from 34 high-ranking publications.FindingsThe study shows that extant SF literature focuses on antecedents and outcomes and draws on three main theoretical perspectives. It also presents a growing trend of SF literature in various contexts.Originality/valueThis study provides a systematic review of SF literature from both theoretical and empirical perspectives using the TCCM framework. It highlights the significance of SF in management research and global context.