Číslo 3
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Browsing Číslo 3 by Subject "COVID-19"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- ItemAPPLICATION OF AGILE MANAGEMENT APPROACHES IN SELECTED AUTOMOTIVE COMPANIES IN LIBEREC AND CENTRAL BOHEMIAN REGIONS(Technická Univerzita v Liberci, ) Revutska, Olga; Antlová, Klára; Ekonomická fakultaDramatic changes caused by the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic have emphasized the strategic importance of business agility. Companies around the globe are accelerating their agile transformation to succeed within the contemporary dynamic and complex business environment. This includes both instrumental and cultural changes. It is becoming increasingly clear that agile principles and approaches are no longer exclusively used by IT companies; it is spreading across other business functions and industries. Secondary data analysis confirms a strong ambition of companies towards becoming agile. This paper examines the extent, benefits, and concerns of using agile methodologies by selected automotive companies in the Liberec and Central Bohemian regions of the Czech Republic. The in-depth interviews provide a better understanding of the lower agile maturity of the surveyed companies compared to global statistics. None of the surveyed automotive manufacturers assessed their agile maturity at a high level, nor did they consider agile transformation an urgent strategic priority. Research and Development, Program and Project management stood out as the most agile business functions. At the same time, respondents are clearly aware of the need to increase flexibility and the ability to respond quickly to market changes. Some of the surveyed companies have already successfully incorporated Lean, Kanban and Scrum into their operating models, which are the basics of agile. The primary research findings, combined with secondary data analysis, enable recommendations for those pursuing agile transformation. The paper means to stimulate further in-depth research on the agile management approaches in the manufacturing environment.
- ItemFIRM AGILITY AND DIGITALISATION LESS HELPFUL THAN EXPECTED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, BUT VALUABLE IN THE LONGER RUN(Technická Univerzita v Liberci, ) Redek, Tjaša; Čater, Tomaž; Čater, Barbara; Černe, Matej; Koman, Matjaž; Ekonomická fakultaFirms’ performance during exogenous crises depends on several factors, from strategic foresight, financial readiness, and a number of firm-specific as well as sectoral aspects, also including luck and government support. The aim of this paper is to investigate the extent to which the ‘crisis readiness’ of firms, defined by factors like a proactive strategic approach, digitalisation, and financial constraints, as well as the reliance on or availability of government support, is responsible for the outcome during the COVID-19 crisis compared to the long-run contribution made by these factors. The empirical investigation uses a unique combination of firm-level balance sheet data and unique survey data concerning the strategic focus and implementation of Industry 4.0. While the literature suggests that digitalisation, a strategic proactive approach, and crisis readiness (itself depending on several factors) impacted the firms significantly during the COVID-19 crisis, the results show firm performance primarily depended on other (sectoral) aspects serving as a major exogenous factor impacting their performance. During the crisis, digitalisation was additionally mentioned as an important adjustment factor. However, using firm-level data we show that while companies were able to mitigate certain impacts of the supply and demand shocks triggered by COVID-19 using their internal resources and characteristics, including strategic elements, the biggest explanatory factor remains the sector involved. This leads to important managerial and policy recommendations, principally stressing the importance of proactivity and agility for firms’ long-run performance, whereas in the short run the state must help mitigate the effects.