Mapping research trends on strategic agility over the past 25 years: insights from a bibliometric approach

Abstract

Purpose – Strategic agility is a fuzzy concept that has become crucial to cope with environmental uncertainty and instability; hence, more in-depth studies are highly needed. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the still diffuse research area of strategic agility by clarifying its scope and concept, as well as identifying the different topics that have been examined thus far. Finally, the intent of this paper is to show the existing gaps in the literature to provide scholars with a clear roadmap for future research. Design/methodology/approach – Bibliometric and content analyses are used in this study to review the most impactful papers in strategic agility between 1996 and 2021. Citation and mapping analyses are conducted through SciMAT software, and a dynamic approach is adopted by assessing and discussing the evolution of strategic agility throughout five different periods. Findings – This study reveals that strategic agility is a research line that has neither gained consensus nor reached maturity and that it is linked to several thematic areas or topics. The study offers a complete understanding of the state of the art of strategic agility over time and underscores its main future research lines. Originality/value – This study presents a complete map of the strategic agility research thus far by using novel bibliometric techniques. This approach is especially interesting because it allows for identifying the dynamic relationships among themes within the topic over five different periods. 研究目的 – 策略靈活性是一個模糊概念。這個概念對應付環境的不確定性和不穩定性至為重要, 因此, 我們極須對其作更深入之研究。目前, 對策略靈活性的研究範圍仍很分散。本文擬為這研究範圍提供解說, 方法是透過闡釋策略靈活性的範疇和概念, 及確定至今曾被探討過的課題。最後、本文擬顯示目前文獻中的研究缺口, 以為學者提供一個未來研究的清晰藍圖 。 研究的方法/理念 – 研究利用文獻計量分析法與內容分析法, 去審視1996年至2021年期間研究策略靈活性最有影響力的文章, 透過SciMAT可視化軟件進行引用文獻及繪圖分析, 亦採用動態方法, 去評估及討論橫跨五個不同時期策略靈活性的演變。 研究結果 – 研究顯示、策略靈活性為一既無共識, 也未臻成熟的研究線; 研究亦顯示、策略靈活性與多個專題領域及主題相關連。本研究使我們對策略靈活性隨著時間推移的最新理念得到全面的理解, 研究亦強調了策略靈活性未來主要的研究線。 研究的原創性/價值 – 本研究透過新穎的文獻計量分析法, 提供了一個策略靈活性研究發展至今的完整藍圖。這方法至為有趣, 因其能確定橫跨五個不同時期、在同一課題下各個主題間的動態關係。

Keywords

• Strategic agility
• Bibliometric analysis
• Science mapping
• Co-word analysis