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Prior research from transaction costs economics argued that central firms perform better because they have superior access to information to discipline their alliance partners. Central firms may also, however, face higher costs and risks of unintentional learning and weaken their competence through structural inertia. We propose that these costs and risks are influenced by the learning capacities of the firms in the network and can explain different outcomes for focal firm performance.

To test our predictions, we use instrumental variable–generalized method of moments estimation techniques on 15,517 firm-year observations from equity alliance portfolios in the global food industry across a 21-year window.

We find support for our predictions and show that the relationship between network degree centrality and firm performance is negatively influenced by partners’ learning capacity and positively influenced by focal firms’ learning capacity, while firms with low network degree centrality benefit less from their learning capacity.

Future developments in transaction cost economics may consider partner and focal firms’ learning capacity as moderators of the network degree centrality – firm performance relationship.

In alliance decisions, managers must consider that the combination of high network degree centrality and partners’ learning capacity can lead to high costs, risks of unintentional learning, and structural inertia, all of which have negative consequences for performance. In concentrated industries where network positions are controlled by a few large firms, policymakers must acknowledge that firms may face substantial barriers to collaboration with learning-intensive firms.

This study is the first to develop and test a comprehensive transaction cost analysis of the central firm’s unintended knowledge flows and structural inertia in alliance networks. It is also the first to incorporate theoretically and empirically the hazards of complex and unintended information flows on the relationship of network degree centrality to performance in equity alliance portfolios.

The purpose of this paper is to examine theoretically and empirically what type of leadership facilitates e-business adoption in large manufacturing firms. The digital transformation of firms requires leadership that can promote the adaptive quality of organizational culture.

The authors conducted an empirical study using two key informants from a sample of 181 incumbent firms.

The authors find significant evidence that adaptive culture is the vehicle by which transformational leaders positively influence e-business adoption.

Given the digital economy’s external pressures, many e-business adoption processes fail due to organizational factors originating in leadership and its capability to change followers’ values, norms, and motivations. To solve this problem, the authors propose a model that explains how transformational leadership first plays a key role in changing characteristics of culture and then facilitates e-business adoption.

To analyze a series of strategic capabilities/factors that affects organizational innovation (OI) and organizational learning (OL) (personal mastery, transformational leadership, shared vision, proactivity and environment) and demonstrate that OL and innovation are positively related to organizational performance.

Based on prior research, the paper develops a number of testable hypotheses. It examines how personal mastery, transformational leadership, shared vision, proactivity and environment influence improvements in performance. The paper uses inter‐factor correlations matrix and multiple regressions analyses and empirically tests these hypotheses using a sample of 408 Spanish organizations.

Considers OI and OL jointly to promote organizational entrepreneurship and to increase competitive advantages. Empirically reflects the need to strengthen different strategic capabilities to achieve an adequate level of both organizational issues and thus improve performance and encourage entrepreneurship.

Survey data based on self‐reports may be subject to social desirability bias. The external validation of some of the variables from the archival data of a subset of respondents increased confidence in self‐reports and reduced the risk of common method variance. The paper needs to concentrate on other sectors. Future studies should place greater emphasis on longitudinal studies and should be based on a larger sample, preferably in more than one country. It would be interesting to analyze other strategic activities for entrepreneurship.

Organizations' managers must encourage the organization's members to achieve high levels of personal mastery. This environment can be provided by continually encouraging personal vision. The style of management must be more transformational. They must foster shared vision. The leader must prepare the organization and shape the mental models. Specific actions must be taken to overcome the internal and external obstacles to shared vision. The leader will play an important role in linking the organization and the environment and generate proactivity.

This paper is fundamental to promote strategy capabilities that are necessary to entrepreneurship (OL and OI).

The research attempts to evaluate whether services firms form a homogeneous body when applying managerial flexibility as compared to manufacturing firms. The paper examines the differential effects that exist regarding performance when faced with divergences in the levels of fit between the firm's real flexibility and that required by the environment on a strategic, structural and operational level. The hypotheses are tested using data from 417 European firms. The results show that a good fit between real and required operational flexibility has a more positive influence on business performance in service firms than in the manufacturing sector. Service firms, in the day‐to‐day context should have the capacity to change rapidly when successful operational practices in their adjacent environment change.

The purpose of this paper is to take an in‐depth look at the differences in learning based on the nature of the process, analysing the influence of CEO perceptions of personal mastery, shared vision, environment and strategic proactivity on the learning level.

This investigation drew up a structured questionnaire to better understand how CEOs face learning issues. A series of χ², t‐tests, Harman's one‐factor tests, correlations, and regression analyses were used. The hypotheses are tested using data from 239 firms located in Spain.

This investigation shows the influence of CEO perceptions of several strategic factors and capabilities (personal mastery, shared vision, environment and strategic proactivity) in single‐ and double‐loop learning and the influence of this learning level on organizational innovation and performance. It adds theoretical and empirical arguments to the two main learning levels in the literature.

The research provides empirical evidence that: personal mastery and a stable environment have a positive and significant impact on the generation of single‐loop learning; personal mastery, shared vision, ambiguous environment and strategic proactivity have a positive and significant influence on the generation of double‐loop learning; and both learning levels affect the generation of greater organizational innovation and performance.

This paper aims to propose a model to assess managerial flexibility and its determinants.

The authors perform a literature review to identify the main dimensions of managerial flexibility. Flexibility as a firm capability to co‐align the firm and the business environment permanently is deeply related to the notion of fit. The proposed model integrates different approaches to fit. Based on an empirical, transnational study, the research proposes a model for managerial flexibility.

Three types of flexibility are measured: managerial flexibility, financial flexibility and metaflexibility. Financial flexibility and metaflexibility determine the degree of managerial flexibility, which in turn has positive implications for performance.

The variables included in the model are not exhaustive. The concept of fit implies a static perspective of flexibility.

The results are useful both for researchers and for practitioners. Researchers can benefit from a review of managerial flexibility and a methodology that combines different approaches to fit: matching, covariation and profile deviation. Practitioners can learn that managerial flexibility, articulated in some managerial practices, has positive effects on performance when they are in line with the requirements of the environment. In order to activate these practices, firms should maintain a commitment to learning capabilities and financial resources.

Three contributions are important for research. First, the paper proposes a model for explaining the nature of managerial flexibility. Second, it shows that flexibility and fit are interrelated concepts and that fit improves the measurability of flexibility. Third, managerial flexibility has positive implications for firm performance.

In the evolving landscape of Industry 5.0 (I5.0), which emphasises sustainability, human-centricity and resilience, mapping the current interrelationship and future research directions, the role of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology remains underexplored. Our study addresses this gap by examining the potential of LSS to support I5.0 while identifying areas for further investigation.

This study's multifaceted approach, which includes systematic literature review (SLR), bibliographic network analysis (BNA) and expert validation (EV), provides a holistic exploration of the interaction between LSS and I5.0 as the basis for well-founded conclusions.

The analysis yields several valuable insights. Firstly, it demonstrates the absence of a direct link between LSS and I5.0. Secondly, the substantial body of literature analysed establishes connections between LSS and its pillars. Thirdly, the analysis identifies points of intersection, difference and similarity between LSS and I5.0, highlighting the potential of LSS to facilitate implementation of I5.0 through its proven methodologies, continuous improvement culture, risk management, error learning, human–machine collaboration and training and skill development.

This study pioneers the effort to realise the latent potential of LSS in the context of I5.0. Its systematic identification of the synergies between these paradigms fills a critical gap in the literature and gives policymakers, managers and researchers a guide for informed decision-making to maximise the benefits of I5.0 for individuals, companies, society and the planet.

To understand how organizations, public or private, must increase their productivity perception (PP), independently of the sector. This article aims to analyze PP in the digital transformation (DT) process to determine how it is affected by technostress (TS) and work engagement (WE), two concepts that seem to be forces opposing PP.

The authors use data from a questionnaire addressed to personnel in two organizations (public and private). The analysis applies partial least squares technique to the 505 valid responses obtained from these organizations. This analysis is based not on representativeness but on uniqueness.

The results suggest a positive, significant relationship between DT and PP. This article integrates DT and its effects on aspects of people's health, PP and WE. The model thus includes interactions of technology with human elements. In both business and administrative environments, PP is key to optimizing resources and survival of organizations.

DT processes are different and complex because every organization is different. The authors recommend expanding this study to other sectors in both spheres, public and private. Aligning the objectives of the institutions for aid with DT is also quite complicated.

This study contributes to improving participating organizations. It also provides government institutions with a clear foundation from which to encourage actions that promote the health and WE of their workforce without reducing productivity. In addition, this study adds novelty to the research line.

The authors have deepened this line of research by developing fuller knowledge of the relationships among novel and necessary variables in organizations. The authors provide complementary, different and inspiring value in addressing this line of research.

Entrepreneurial identity involves identifying and exploiting opportunities to create value and wealth. Entrepreneurship contributes mainly to a firm’s efforts be exploited in a marketplace. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between the entrepreneurial social identities identified by Fauchart and Gruber (2011) and three primary stakeholders: investors, customers and employees.

Data were collected through online questionnaires from entrepreneurs who had created their own new venture in Spain. The results were analysed using partial least squares technique (PLS-SEM) (Fornell and Cha, 1994) with Smart PLS 3.0 (Ringle et al., 2015).

The results show that the identities defined as Darwinian and Communitarian have a positive effect on profits and growth in sales, which serve to create value for investors and customers. The effect is not significant, however, when these identities are connected to job creation to create value for employees. Further, the multi-group analysis performed shows that this relationship differs significantly based on gender.

The main limitation is that this research does not include relevant stakeholders like sponsors or project managers. The next step is to expand this research to this kind of stakeholders.

The research assists gender entrepreneurial social identity and business performance under the impact on primary stakeholders.

This research has the potential to analyse the entrepreneurial social identities for their contribution to create value and wealth.

The authors’ main contributions are to have based the study on the relationship between entrepreneurial social identity and business performance and their impact on primary stakeholders and to have analysed the differences on gender entrepreneurial social identity and business performance and their impact on primary stakeholders.

This paper aims to examine how the characteristics of CEOs' social networks, such as the size of the network and the strength of the ties, influence strategic flexibility from a strategic orientation perspective. External social networks can affect strategic flexibility positively. Different orientations could have repercussions for the relationship between external social networks and strategic flexibility.

The data came from surveys completed by the managers of 188 Spanish firms. The methodology used was regression analysis.

The authors observe that external social networks affect strategic flexibility positively, more strongly when the networks are greater in size. The sample was classified into three groups: conservative, intermediate and entrepreneurship firms. The authors find that other effects vary according to the kind of strategic orientation in the organization. Both findings support and extend social capital and network theory and flexibility literature.

The interviews were held with Spanish CEOs, and the character of the research was cross‐sectional. This could have implications for the generalizability of the findings.

The authors' results extend previous research not only by highlighting the importance of CEOs' social networks in driving strategic flexibility but also by indicating how different strategic orientations either enhance or inhibit this relationship.