Drivers of workforce agility: a dynamic capability perspective

• Published in: International journal of organizational analysis (2005) Vol. 30; no. 4; pp. 951 - 982
• Main Authors: Ajgaonkar, Suchitra, Neelam, Netra Ganesh, Wiemann, Judith
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bingley Emerald Publishing Limited 17-06-2022; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Competitive advantage; Flexibility; Human resource management; Manufacturing; Operations management; Product development; Qualitative research; Social exchange theory; Workforce; Strategic management; Dynamic capabilities; IT industry; Qualitative exploration; Workforce agility; Human resource management; Strategic human resource management
• ISSN: 1934-8835; 1758-8561
• DOI: 10.1108/IJOA-11-2020-2507

Purpose
This paper aims to represent an exploration of drivers of workforce agility under the lens of dynamic capabilities to advance the existing workforce literature on agility and strategic human resource management.
Design/methodology/approach
In-depth qualitative interviews with senior information technology professionals, managers, directors and leadership were conducted. Data coding and analysis followed the Gioia methodology to develop a theoretical framework.
Findings
The theoretical paradigm of workforce agility is seeing revisions. In the past it was solely connected to resource-based view theory, current literature superficially speaks of the link with dynamic capability but lacks comprehensive and strategic understanding. The research brings in the evolutionary change by viewing workforce agility directly under the lens of dynamic capability theory and recognizes workforce agility as a high-level strategy. Based on the analysis of the qualitative interviews this study has developed a conceptual heuristic of workforce agility drivers, interlinked with dynamic capabilities micro-foundations – “sensing”, “seizing”, and “continual renewal”. This paper conceptualizes workforce agility as a response to high pressures for the dynamic capability of the company, which requires reconfiguration and redeployment of external and internal human resources and an inherent need to bring some stability to the internal resources of the company.
Originality/value
There is a growing body of literature linking organizational agility with dynamic capabilities, which overlooks workforce agility. This study is theory-based research on workforce agility, which guides practitioners in making human resource processes more agile.