IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2020i1p176-d468908.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Influence Mechanism of Organizational Flexibility on Enterprise Competitiveness: The Mediating Role of Organizational Innovation

Author

Listed:
  • Guodong Ni

    (School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
    Research Center for Digitalized Construction and Knowledge Engineering, School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Heng Xu

    (School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Qingbin Cui

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA)

  • Yaning Qiao

    (School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
    Research Center for Digitalized Construction and Knowledge Engineering, School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Ziyao Zhang

    (School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Huaikun Li

    (School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Paul J. Hickey

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA)

Abstract

Organizational success heavily relies on the competitiveness of products and services under rapidly changing market conditions. This enterprise competitiveness becomes more critical for project-based enterprises as modernization of the Chinese construction industry creates greater challenges and uncertainty in construction operations, which determines the sustainable advantages of enterprises to a certain degree. Traditional wisdom focuses on cost efficiency, asset differentiation, and service performance to gain competitive advantages. This paper explores the influence of organizational flexibility and organizational innovation on enterprise competitiveness for Chinese construction organizations. A designed structured questionnaire was developed and conducted targeting the project-based enterprises in China’s construction industry and is accompanied by a structural equation modeling analysis. Results indicate a positive impact of organizational flexibility on enterprise competitiveness along with a mediation role of organizational innovation. The study concludes that new organizational strategies are required for Chinese project-based enterprises to maintain enterprise competitiveness in order to realize the sustainable development of enterprises.

Suggested Citation

  • Guodong Ni & Heng Xu & Qingbin Cui & Yaning Qiao & Ziyao Zhang & Huaikun Li & Paul J. Hickey, 2020. "Influence Mechanism of Organizational Flexibility on Enterprise Competitiveness: The Mediating Role of Organizational Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-23, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2020:i:1:p:176-:d:468908
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/1/176/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/1/176/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Úbeda-García, Mercedes & Claver-Cortés, Enrique & Marco-Lajara, Bartolomé & Zaragoza-Sáez, Patrocinio & García-Lillo, Francisco, 2018. "High performance work system and performance: Opening the black box through the organizational ambidexterity and human resource flexibility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 397-406.
    2. Khosravi, Pouria & Newton, Cameron & Rezvani, Azadeh, 2019. "Management innovation: A systematic review and meta-analysis of past decades of research," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 694-707.
    3. Jan Hendrik Fisch & Miriam Zschoche, 2012. "The role of operational flexibility in the expansion of international production networks," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(13), pages 1540-1556, December.
    4. Li, Guangpei & Wang, Xiaoyu & Su, Shibin & Su, Yuan, 2019. "How green technological innovation ability influences enterprise competitiveness," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    5. Candace Young-Ybarra & Margarethe Wiersema, 1999. "Strategic Flexibility in Information Technology Alliances: The Influence of Transaction Cost Economics and Social Exchange Theory," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(4), pages 439-459, August.
    6. Alofan, Fahad & Chen, Stephen & Tan, Hao, 2020. "National cultural distance, organizational culture, and adaptation of management innovations in foreign subsidiaries: A fuzzy set analysis of TQM implementation in Saudi Arabia," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 184-199.
    7. Phillips, Paul A. & Wright, Claire, 2009. "E-business's impact on organizational flexibility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(11), pages 1071-1080, November.
    8. Mary M. Crossan & Marina Apaydin, 2010. "A Multi‐Dimensional Framework of Organizational Innovation: A Systematic Review of the Literature," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(6), pages 1154-1191, September.
    9. O.V. Yamova & M.S. Maramygin & I.V. Sharova & J.N. Nesterenko & N.V. Sobina, 2018. "Integral Valuation of an Enterprise’s Competitiveness in the Industrial Economy," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 2), pages 777-787.
    10. Reinhard Lund, 1998. "Organizational and Innovative Flexibility Mechanisms and their Impact upon Organizational Effectiveness," DRUID Working Papers 98-23, DRUID, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy/Aalborg University, Department of Business Studies.
    11. Yongan Zhang & Umair Khan & Seoyeon Lee & Madiha Salik, 2019. "The Influence of Management Innovation and Technological Innovation on Organization Performance. A Mediating Role of Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-21, January.
    12. Ozer, Muammer, 2002. "The role of flexibility in online business," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 61-69.
    13. Gann, David M. & Salter, Ammon J., 2000. "Innovation in project-based, service-enhanced firms: the construction of complex products and systems," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(7-8), pages 955-972, August.
    14. Wei, Zelong & Song, Xi & Wang, Donghan, 2017. "Manufacturing flexibility, business model design, and firm performance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 87-97.
    15. Yang Yang & Lin Guo & Zhuling Zhong & Mu Zhang, 2018. "Selection of Technological Innovation for Service-Orientated Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-13, October.
    16. Dae Geon Kim & Sang Ok Choi, 2018. "Impact of Construction IT Technology Convergence Innovation on Business Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-16, October.
    17. A. Ghobadian & H. Viney & J. Liu & P. James, 1998. "Extending linear approaches to mapping corporate environmental behaviour," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 7(1), pages 13-23, February.
    18. Lin, Han & Zeng, Saixing & Liu, Haijian & Li, Chao, 2020. "Bridging the gaps or fecklessness? A moderated mediating examination of intermediaries’ effects on corporate innovation," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 94.
    19. Ye Dai & John C. Goodale & Gukdo Byun & Fangsheng Ding, 2018. "Strategic Flexibility in New High†Technology Ventures," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(2), pages 265-294, March.
    20. Wynne W. Chin & Barbara L. Marcolin & Peter R. Newsted, 2003. "A Partial Least Squares Latent Variable Modeling Approach for Measuring Interaction Effects: Results from a Monte Carlo Simulation Study and an Electronic-Mail Emotion/Adoption Study," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 14(2), pages 189-217, June.
    21. Philippe Giuliani & Marc Robert & Frédéric Le Roy, 2018. "Reinvention of management innovation for successful implementation," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 34(3), pages 343-361.
    22. Thuc Uyen Nguyen-Thi & Caroline Danièle Mothe, 2010. "The Link Between Non Technological Innovations And Technological Innovation," Post-Print hal-00920069, HAL.
    23. Fariborz Damanpour & Kathryn A. Szabat & William M. Evan, 1989. "The Relationship Between Types Of Innovation And Organizational Performance," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(6), pages 587-602, November.
    24. Riolli, Laura & Savicki, Victor, 2003. "Information system organizational resilience," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 227-233, June.
    25. Falciola, Justine & Jansen, Marion & Rollo, Valentina, 2020. "Defining firm competitiveness: A multidimensional framework," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Muhammad Awais & Amanat Ali & Muhammad Sajid Khattak & Muhammad Irfanullah Arfeen & Muhammad Azam I. Chaudhary & Aleena Syed, 2023. "Strategic Flexibility and Organizational Performance: Mediating Role of Innovation," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(2), pages 21582440231, June.
    2. Abdelmohsen A. Nassani & Hadi Hussain & Joanna Rosak-Szyrocka & László Vasa & Zahid Yousaf & Mohamed Haffar, 2023. "Analyzing the Leading Role of High-Performance Work System towards Strategic Business Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-11, March.
    3. Lei Shi & Shan Gao & Airong Xu & Kexin Zheng & Yuanpeng Ji & Xianlei Dong & Lizhi Xing, 2023. "Influence of Enterprise’s Factor Inputs and Co-Opetition Relationships to Its Innovation Output," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-23, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Józef Ober, 2020. "Innovation Adoption: Empirical Analysis on the Example of Selected Factors of Organizational Culture in the IT Industry in Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-25, October.
    2. Tanja Todorovic & Nenad Medic & Milan Delic & Nikola Zivlak & Danijela Gracanin, 2022. "Performance Implications of Organizational and Technological Innovation: An Integrative Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-14, February.
    3. Lurdes Barroso Simao & Luísa Cagica Carvalho & Maria José Madeira, 2021. "Intellectual structure of management innovation: bibliometric analysis," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 71(3), pages 651-677, July.
    4. Hervas-Oliver, Jose-Luis & Sempere-Ripoll, Francisca & Boronat-Moll, Carles, 2012. "Process innovation objectives and management complementarities: patterns, drivers, co-adoption and performance effects," MERIT Working Papers 2012-051, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    5. Naciba Haned & Caroline Mothe & Thuc Uyen Nguyen-Thi, 2014. "Firm persistence in technological innovation: the relevance of organizational innovation," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(5-6), pages 490-516, September.
    6. Yongan Zhang & Umair Khan & Seoyeon Lee & Madiha Salik, 2019. "The Influence of Management Innovation and Technological Innovation on Organization Performance. A Mediating Role of Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-21, January.
    7. Sonia Adam-Ledunois & Sébastien Damart, 2016. "Innovation managériale… ou pas ? Design d'une méthodologie d'analyse critique des objets de management," Post-Print hal-01780623, HAL.
    8. Li, Can, 2020. "Enhancing or inhibiting: The impact of investment in political ties on the link between firm innovation and productivity," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(2).
    9. Seung Hoo Jin & Sang Ok Choi, 2019. "The Effect of Innovation Capability on Business Performance: A Focus on IT and Business Service Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-15, September.
    10. Cécile Ayerbe & Sandra Dubouloz & Sophie Mignon & Marc Robert, 2020. "Management Innovation and Open Innovation: For and Towards Dialogue," Post-Print hal-02985953, HAL.
    11. Nasrin Sultana & Ekaterina Turkina, 2023. "Collaboration for Sustainable Innovation Ecosystem: The Role of Intermediaries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-18, May.
    12. Rubén Martínez-Alonso & María J. Martínez-Romero & Alfonso A. Rojo-Ramírez, 2019. "Examining the Impact of Innovation Forms on Sustainable Economic Performance: The Influence of Family Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-22, November.
    13. Kyungbo Park & Jeonghwa Cha & Jongyi Hong, 2023. "Developing a Framework for Evaluating and Predicting Management Innovation in Public Research Institutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-18, April.
    14. Aftab Junaid & Sarwar Huma & Abid Nabila & Ishaq Muhammad Ishtiaq & Kiran Alina & Aftab Fahad, 2022. "The Nexus of Management Innovation, Performance Management, and Organizational Performance in the Pakistani Construction Industry," Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, Sciendo, vol. 30(4), pages 2-26, November.
    15. D. Vandaele & P. Gemmel, 2007. "Dealing with Business Service Transactions after the Sourcing Decision: Influence of Contract and Uncertainty," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 07/432, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    16. Jiang, Shuiquan & Yang, Jie & Yu, Mingchuan & Lin, Han & Li, Chao & Doty, Harold, 2022. "Strategic conformity, organizational learning ambidexterity, and corporate innovation performance: An inverted U-shaped curve?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 424-433.
    17. Nawal Abdalla Adam & Ghadah Alarifi, 2021. "Innovation practices for survival of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the COVID-19 times: the role of external support," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 1-22, December.
    18. Jacqueline Tsz Yin Lo & Calvin Kam, 2021. "Innovation Performance Indicators for Architecture, Engineering and Construction Organization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-25, August.
    19. Arranz, N. & Arroyabe, M.F. & Li, Jun & de Arroyabe, J.C. Fernandez, 2019. "An integrated model of organisational innovation and firm performance: Generation, persistence and complementarity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 270-282.
    20. Susanne Hügel & Markus Kreutzer & Nico B. Rottke, 2019. "Firm Innovativeness In Service Industries: A Construct Validation In The External Environment And Industry Structure Contexts," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 23(06), pages 1-57, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2020:i:1:p:176-:d:468908. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.