Digital Strategies for Engendering Resilient, Adaptive, and Entrepreneurial Agility: A Confgurational Perspective

Abstract

This study examines how different digital strategies influence agility in managing customer demand. We test the effects of digital strategies on three types of digitally-enabled demand management agility–adaptive, resilient, and entrepreneurial. Using a configurational perspective, we conceptualize digital strategies as the synergistic use of IT-driven and business-driven initiatives in selective or collective value chain domains. Configurations are used to outline three digital strategies: supply chain-oriented, marketing-oriented, and value chain-wide. Using data from a survey of 200 firms, we use configurational analysis to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that specialized–supply chain or marketing-oriented–digital strategies may be sufficient to create adaptive and resilient agility. However, a value chain-wide digital strategy is necessary to facilitate entrepreneurial agility. Results also indicate that a specialized digital strategy may suffice in less turbulent environments, but a value chain-wide digital strategy is required to manage demand management disruptions in highly turbulent environments.