IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/manrev/v75y2025i3d10.1007_s11301-024-00422-3.html

Leadership agility in the context of organisational agility: a systematic literature review

Author

Listed:
  • Latika Tandon

    (Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences, O.P. Jindal Global University)

  • Tithi Bhatnagar

    (Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences, O.P. Jindal Global University
    National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS))

  • Tanushree Sharma

    (O.P. Jindal Global University)

Abstract

Organisations across the globe are looking to become agile and are seeking leaders to guide their transformation to agility. This paper conducts a systematic literature review across eighty-six papers spanning over 25 years (1999–2023), to develop an overview of how leadership agility is conceptualized in the context of organisational agility in the extant literature. This systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA framework. The databases searched for the review were: EBSCO, Emerald Insight, JStor, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. The data thus collected was organised and integrated using reflective thematic synthesis. Literature suggests that leadership agility is one of the key dimensions to foster organisational agility, though challenging in practice and difficult to implement. Based on the analysis of extant literature, this paper identifies four emergent themes of leadership agility: Leadership Agility Mindsets; Leadership Agility Competencies; Leadership Agility Styles; and Leadership Organisational Agility Functions. This study has conceptualized a framework of leadership agility in the context of organisational agility, anchored in the interplay of the emergent themes and their categories, contributing to leadership agility research, and promoting its adoption by the practitioners.

Suggested Citation

  • Latika Tandon & Tithi Bhatnagar & Tanushree Sharma, 2025. "Leadership agility in the context of organisational agility: a systematic literature review," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 75(3), pages 1839-1909, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:manrev:v:75:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s11301-024-00422-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s11301-024-00422-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11301-024-00422-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11301-024-00422-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Linda Holbeche, 2019. "Designing sustainably agile and resilient organizations," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(5), pages 668-677, September.
    2. Asseraf, Yoel & Gnizy, Itzhak, 2022. "Translating strategy into action: The importance of an agile mindset and agile slack in international business," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(6).
    3. Felipe, Carmen M. & Roldán, José L. & Leal-Rodríguez, Antonio L., 2016. "An explanatory and predictive model for organizational agility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 4624-4631.
    4. Paul, Justin & Criado, Alex Rialp, 2020. "The art of writing literature review: What do we know and what do we need to know?," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(4).
    5. Anna-Theresa Walter, 2021. "Organizational agility: ill-defined and somewhat confusing? A systematic literature review and conceptualization," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 71(2), pages 343-391, April.
    6. Eilers, Karen & Peters, Christoph & Leimeister, Jan Marco, 2022. "Why the agile mindset matters," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    7. Yeşim Kaya, 2023. "Agile Leadership from the Perspective of Dynamic Capabilities and Creating Value," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-16, October.
    8. Sharifi, H. & Zhang, Z., 1999. "A methodology for achieving agility in manufacturing organisations: An introduction," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(1-2), pages 7-22, May.
    9. Alessandro Liberati & Douglas G Altman & Jennifer Tetzlaff & Cynthia Mulrow & Peter C Gøtzsche & John P A Ioannidis & Mike Clarke & P J Devereaux & Jos Kleijnen & David Moher, 2009. "The PRISMA Statement for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Studies That Evaluate Health Care Interventions: Explanation and Elaboration," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(7), pages 1-28, July.
    10. Rima Zitkiene & Mindaugas Deksnys, 2018. "Organizational Agility Conceptual Model," Montenegrin Journal of Economics, Economic Laboratory for Transition Research (ELIT), vol. 14(2), pages 115-129.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Pinho, Celso R.A. & Pinho, Maria Luiza C.A. & Deligonul, Seyda Z. & Tamer Cavusgil, S., 2022. "The agility construct in the literature: Conceptualization and bibliometric assessment," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 517-532.
    2. Mastura Jaafar & Kashif Nawaz Khan & Ahmad Salman, 2026. "A systematic review and framework for organizational agility antecedents towards industry 4.0," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 76(1), pages 487-512, February.
    3. Tien Nguyen & Cat Vi Le & Minh Nguyen & Gam Nguyen & Tran Thi Hong Lien & Oanh Nguyen, 2025. "The organisational impact of agility: a systematic literature review," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 75(3), pages 2709-2757, September.
    4. Fabio Magnacca & Riccardo Giannetti, 2024. "Management accounting and new product development: a systematic literature review and future research directions," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 28(2), pages 651-685, June.
    5. Wiweko Probojakti & Hamidah Nayati Utami & Arik Prasetya & Muhammad Faisal Riza, 2024. "Building Sustainable Competitive Advantage in Banking through Organizational Agility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-15, September.
    6. Rob Kim Marjerison & Matthew Andrews & George Kuan, 2022. "Creating Sustainable Organizations through Knowledge Sharing and Organizational Agility: Empirical Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-23, April.
    7. Ogali, Oscar Ikechukwu Okoronkwo & Okoro, Emmanuel Emeka & Sanni, Samuel E. & John, Ikechukwu Theophilus & John, Chukwuemeka Benjamin, 2026. "Advancing z-factor prediction in natural gas systems using machine learning: A review of methods, challenges, and role in the global energy transition," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 226(PB).
    8. Batista-Canino, Rosa M. & Santana-Hernández, Lidia & Medina-Brito, Pino, 2024. "A holistic literature review on entrepreneurial Intention: A scientometric approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    9. Ajay Kumar & Siv Marina Flø Grimstad & Annik Magerholm Fet, 2025. "Better Together: A Review of Approaches for the Integration of Life Cycle and Circularity Assessment," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 5(6), pages 5699-5725, November.
    10. Marco Brand & Victor Tiberius & Peter M. Bican & Alexander Brem, 2021. "Agility as an innovation driver: towards an agile front end of innovation framework," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 157-187, January.
    11. Jawad Asghar & Dominik K. Kanbach & Sascha Kraus, 2026. "Toward a multidimensional concept of organizational agility: a systematic literature review," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 76(1), pages 885-911, February.
    12. Pedro Borges & Mário Franco & Amélia Carvalho & Carlos Machado dos Santos & Margarida Rodrigues & Galvão Meirinhos & Rui Silva, 2022. "University-Industry Cooperation: A Peer-Reviewed Bibliometric Analysis," Economies, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-23, October.
    13. K. Pooja & Pallavi Upadhyaya, 2024. "What makes an online review credible? A systematic review of the literature and future research directions," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 74(2), pages 627-659, June.
    14. Akkaya Bulent & Mert Gozde, 2022. "Organizational Agility, Competitive Capabilities, and the Performance of Health Care Organizations During the Covid-19 Pandemic," Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, Sciendo, vol. 30(1), pages 2-25, June.
    15. Laura Kerpel & Anneleen Kerckhove, 2025. "Advocating beyond call of duty: a review of employee advocacy and a call for research," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 75(1), pages 249-288, February.
    16. Ciampi, Francesco & Faraoni, Monica & Ballerini, Jacopo & Meli, Francesco, 2022. "The co-evolutionary relationship between digitalization and organizational agility: Ongoing debates, theoretical developments and future research perspectives," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    17. Govindan, Kannan & Jain, Preeti & Kr. Singh, Rajesh & Mishra, Ruchi, 2024. "Blockchain technology as a strategic weapon to bring procurement 4.0 truly alive: Literature review and future research agenda," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    18. Akkaya Bulent & Mert Gozde, 2022. "Organizational Agility, Competitive Capabilities, and the Performance of Health Care Organizations During the Covid-19 Pandemic," Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, Sciendo, vol. 30(2), pages 2-25, June.
    19. Tim Heubeck, 2024. "Untangling the Paradoxical Relationship Between Religion and Business: A Systematic Literature Review of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Religiosity Research," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 195(1), pages 191-214, November.
    20. Wiweko Probojakti & Hamidah Nayati Utami & Arik Prasetya & Muhammad Faisal Riza, 2025. "Driving sustainable competitive advantage in banking: The role of transformational leadership and digital transformation in organizational agility and corporate resiliency," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(1), pages 670-689, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General
    • M10 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - General
    • M12 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:spr:manrev:v:75:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s11301-024-00422-3. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.