IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v174y2024ics0148296323008433.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

On-the-fly decision making within organizations: A systematic literature review and future research directions

Author

Listed:
  • Mariano, Stefania
  • Laker, Benjamin

Abstract

This study systematically reviews the literature on individual on-the-fly decision making within organizations and introduces an organizational framework to guide future research. The proposed organizational framework comprises four primary factor groups that emerged inductively from the analysis. These include organization-, job-, task-, and individual-related factors. Furthermore, this study proposes an agenda to guide future research aimed at reconciling existing contradictory explanations and closing research gaps. Finally, this study has implications for managerial practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Mariano, Stefania & Laker, Benjamin, 2024. "On-the-fly decision making within organizations: A systematic literature review and future research directions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:174:y:2024:i:c:s0148296323008433
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114484
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296323008433
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114484?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 search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Inge Bleijenbergh & Jac Vennix & Eric Jacobs & Marloes Engen, 2016. "Understanding decision making about balancing two stocks: the faculty gender balancing task," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 32(1), pages 6-25, January.
    2. Paul Hughes & Ian R. Hodgkinson & Mathew Hughes & Darwina Arshad, 2018. "Explaining the entrepreneurial orientation–performance relationship in emerging economies: The intermediate roles of absorptive capacity and improvisation," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 35(4), pages 1025-1053, December.
    3. Liu, Yang & Lv, Diwei & Ying, Ying & Arndt, Felix & Wei, Jiang, 2018. "Improvisation for innovation: The contingent role of resource and structural factors in explaining innovation capability," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 74, pages 32-41.
    4. Dusya Vera & Mary Crossan, 2005. "Improvisation and Innovative Performance in Teams," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(3), pages 203-224, June.
    5. Ken Peplowski, 1998. "The Process of Improvisation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(5), pages 560-561, October.
    6. J. Robert Baum & Stefan Wally, 2003. "Strategic decision speed and firm performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(11), pages 1107-1129, November.
    7. John D. Hey & Julia A. Knoll, 2018. "Strategies in dynamic decision making – An experimental investigation of the rationality of decision behaviour," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Experiments in Economics Decision Making and Markets, chapter 9, pages 223-233, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    8. Good, Darren, 2014. "Predicting real-time adaptive performance in a dynamic decision-making context," Journal of Management & Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(6), pages 715-732, November.
    9. Philip M. Podsakoff & Scott B. MacKenzie & Daniel G. Bachrach & Nathan P. Podsakoff, 2005. "The influence of management journals in the 1980s and 1990s," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(5), pages 473-488, May.
    10. Hock-Doepgen, Marianne & Clauss, Thomas & Kraus, Sascha & Cheng, Cheng-Feng, 2021. "Knowledge management capabilities and organizational risk-taking for business model innovation in SMEs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 683-697.
    11. Herbert A. Simon, 1955. "A Behavioral Model of Rational Choice," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 69(1), pages 99-118.
    12. Goergen, Marc & Limbach, Peter & Scholz, Meik, 2015. "Mind the gap: The age dissimilarity between the chair and the CEO," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 136-158.
    13. Hodgkinson, Ian R. & Hughes, Paul & Arshad, Darwina, 2016. "Strategy development: Driving improvisation in Malaysia," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 379-390.
    14. F. Javier Lerch & Donald E. Harter, 2001. "Cognitive Support for Real-Time Dynamic Decision Making," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 12(1), pages 63-82, March.
    15. Rieger, Verena & Klarmann, Martin, 2022. "The effect of cooperative team culture on innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 1256-1271.
    16. Christophe Roux-Dufort & Bénédicte Vidaillet, 2003. "The Difficulties of Improvising in a Crisis Situation - A Case Study," International Studies of Management & Organization, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(1), pages 86-115, January.
    17. Robert J. Meyer & Yong Shi, 1995. "Sequential Choice Under Ambiguity: Intuitive Solutions to the Armed-Bandit Problem," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 41(5), pages 817-834, May.
    18. Daniella Laureiro‐Martínez & Stefano Brusoni, 2018. "Cognitive flexibility and adaptive decision‐making: Evidence from a laboratory study of expert decision makers," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(4), pages 1031-1058, April.
    19. Stefania Mariano, 2018. "Initiating, challenging and improving knowledge in organizational contexts," Management Research Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 41(3), pages 278-295, March.
    20. Sainan Guo & Rudolf Vetschera, 2023. "Preference reversals in dynamic decision‐making under uncertainty based on regret theory," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(3), pages 1720-1731, April.
    21. Kock, Alexander & Gemünden, Hans Georg, 2016. "Antecedents to Decision-making Quality and Agility in Innovation Portfolio Management," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 85099, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    22. Evers, Natasha & Ojala, Arto & Sousa, Carlos M.P. & Criado-Rialp, Alex, 2023. "Unraveling business model innovation in firm internationalization: A systematic literature review and future research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    23. Stephen A. Leybourne, 2007. "Improvisation within management: oxymoron, paradox, or legitimate way of achieving?," International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 2(3), pages 224-239.
    24. Samer Faraj & Yan Xiao, 2006. "Coordination in Fast-Response Organizations," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(8), pages 1155-1169, August.
    25. Billore, Soniya & Anisimova, Tatiana & Vrontis, Demetris, 2023. "Self-regulation and goal-directed behavior: A systematic literature review, public policy recommendations, and research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    26. Jennifer Robinson & Marta Sinclair & Jutta Tobias & Ellen Choi, 2017. "More Dynamic Than You Think: Hidden Aspects of Decision-Making," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-29, July.
    27. Hmieleski, Keith M. & Corbett, Andrew C., 2008. "The contrasting interaction effects of improvisational behavior with entrepreneurial self-efficacy on new venture performance and entrepreneur work satisfaction," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 482-496, July.
    28. Cindy L. Menches & Juan Chen, 2013. "Using ecological momentary assessment to understand a construction worker’s daily disruptions and decisions," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(2), pages 180-194, February.
    29. Michael H. Zack, 2000. "Jazz Improvisation and Organizing: Once More from the Top," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(2), pages 227-234, April.
    30. Miguel Pina E. Cunha & Ken Kamoche & Rita Campos E. Cunha, 2003. "Organizational Improvisation and Leadership - A Field Study in Two Computer-Mediated Settings," International Studies of Management & Organization, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(1), pages 34-57, January.
    31. Fernando F. Suarez & Juan S. Montes, 2019. "An Integrative Perspective of Organizational Responses: Routines, Heuristics, and Improvisations in a Mount Everest Expedition," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(3), pages 573-599, May.
    32. Donald D. Bergh & Elizabeth Ngah‐Kiing Lim, 2008. "Learning how to restructure: absorptive capacity and improvisational views of restructuring actions and performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(6), pages 593-616, June.
    33. Farook R. Hamzeh & Farah Faek & Hasnaa AlHussein, 2019. "Understanding improvisation in construction through antecedents, behaviours and consequences," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(2), pages 61-71, February.
    34. Elena Francke, Anna & Carrete, Lorena, 2023. "Consumer self-regulation: Looking back to look forward. A systematic literature review," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    35. Gonzalez, Cleotilde, 2005. "Decision support for real-time, dynamic decision-making tasks," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 96(2), pages 142-154, March.
    36. Billore, Soniya & Anisimova, Tatiana, 2021. "Panic buying research: A systematic literature review and future research agenda," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, issue Early Vie.
    37. Samuel Adomako & Kwabena Frimpong & Joseph Amankwah-Amoah & Francis Donbesuur & Robert A. Opoku, 2021. "Strategic Decision Speed and International Performance: The Roles of Competitive Intensity, Resource Flexibility, and Structural Organicity," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 61(1), pages 27-55, March.
    38. Christophe Roux-Dufort & Bénédicte Vidaillet, 2003. "The difficulties of improvising in a crisis situation: A case study," Post-Print hal-02311674, HAL.
    39. Stefania Mariano, 2021. "Let me help you! Navigating through the COVID-19 crisis with prosocial expert knowledge behaviour," Knowledge Management Research & Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(4), pages 484-492, October.
    40. Daniel P. Forbes, 2005. "Managerial determinants of decision speed in new ventures," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(4), pages 355-366, April.
    41. Baker, Ted & Miner, Anne S. & Eesley, Dale T., 2003. "Improvising firms: bricolage, account giving and improvisational competencies in the founding process," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 255-276, February.
    42. Wanda J. Orlikowski, 1996. "Improvising Organizational Transformation Over Time: A Situated Change Perspective," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 7(1), pages 63-92, March.
    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. Li Xiong, 2022. "Improvise to win: the relationship between entrepreneurial improvisation and start-up competitive advantage," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(2), pages 184-204, April.
    2. Fultz, Andrew E.F. & Hmieleski, Keith M., 2021. "The art of discovering and exploiting unexpected opportunities: The roles of organizational improvisation and serendipity in new venture performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(4).
    3. Ting Yu & Xueling Li, 2022. "RETRACTED ARTICLE: The relationship between organizational improvisation and economic performance by moderating effects of regional economic level, market environment and cultural background: a meta-a," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 965-982, December.
    4. Milena Gojny-Zbierowska & Przemysław Zbierowski, 2021. "Improvisation as Responsible Innovation in Organizations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-20, February.
    5. Conti, Claudio Ramos & Goldszmidt, Rafael & Vasconcelos, Flávio Carvalho de, 2020. "Firm characteristics and capabilities that enable superior performance in recessions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 553-561.
    6. Adomako, Samuel & Opoku, Robert A. & Frimpong, Kwabena, 2018. "Entrepreneurs' improvisational behavior and new venture performance: Firm-level and institutional contingencies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 10-18.
    7. Fernando F. Suarez & Juan S. Montes, 2019. "An Integrative Perspective of Organizational Responses: Routines, Heuristics, and Improvisations in a Mount Everest Expedition," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(3), pages 573-599, May.
    8. Siyuan Yu & Yang Zhang & Jin Yu & Xuanzhi Yang & Abbas Mardani, 2021. "The Moderating Impact of Organizational Identity Strength between Strategic Improvisation and Organizational Memory and Their Effects on Competitive Advantage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-19, March.
    9. Maksim Belitski & Monika Herzig, 2018. "The Jam Session Model for Group Creativity and Innovative Technology," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 506-521, April.
    10. Paul Hughes & Ian R. Hodgkinson & Mathew Hughes & Darwina Arshad, 2018. "Explaining the entrepreneurial orientation–performance relationship in emerging economies: The intermediate roles of absorptive capacity and improvisation," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 35(4), pages 1025-1053, December.
    11. Zhang, Man & Merchant, Hemant, 2020. "A causal analysis of the role of institutions and organizational proficiencies on the innovation capability of Chinese SMEs," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(2).
    12. Açıkgöz, Atif & Acikgoz, Fulya & Günsel, Ayşe & Latham, Gary P., 2023. "The relationship between imperfect information and performance speed: The mediation of improvisation in new product development teams," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    13. Paul A. Pavlou & Omar A. El Sawy, 2010. "The “Third Hand”: IT-Enabled Competitive Advantage in Turbulence Through Improvisational Capabilities," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 21(3), pages 443-471, September.
    14. Ambituuni, Ambisisi & Azizsafaei, Farzaneh & Keegan, Anne, 2021. "HRM operational models and practices to enable strategic agility in PBOs: Managing paradoxical tensions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 170-182.
    15. Zellweger, Thomas & Sieger, Philipp & Halter, Frank, 2011. "Should I stay or should I go? Career choice intentions of students with family business background," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(5), pages 521-536, September.
    16. Kuratko, Donald F. & Devin Burnell, & Stevenson, Regan & Neubert, Emily & Fisher, Greg, 2023. "Enacting entrepreneurial hustle," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 237-249.
    17. Bradley, Steven W. & Wiklund, Johan & Shepherd, Dean A., 2011. "Swinging a double-edged sword: The effect of slack on entrepreneurial management and growth," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(5), pages 537-554, September.
    18. Samuel Adomako & Kwabena Frimpong & Joseph Amankwah-Amoah & Francis Donbesuur & Robert A. Opoku, 2021. "Strategic Decision Speed and International Performance: The Roles of Competitive Intensity, Resource Flexibility, and Structural Organicity," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 61(1), pages 27-55, March.
    19. Verena Komander & Andreas König, 2024. "Organizations on stage: organizational research and the performing arts," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 74(1), pages 303-352, February.
    20. Dusya Vera & Mary Crossan, 2005. "Improvisation and Innovative Performance in Teams," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(3), pages 203-224, June.

    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:eee:jbrese:v:174:y:2024:i:c:s0148296323008433. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    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.