Abstract:
This study aimed to further the research on dynamic managerial capabilities as a
mechanism that allows firms to determine when to renew their capabilities and to break
inertial tendencies in strategic decision-making. These capabilities require managers to
exercise a high degree of cognitive frame flexibility by taking account of the
environmental and organisational context when deciding on an appropriate firm
response. This approach improves the likelihood of the firm attaining a sustainable
competitive advantage.
The specific purpose of this study was to test whether managerial role performance
was impacted by managerial cognitive frame flexibility. This was supplemented by
considering the roles played by managerial ambidexterity and market dynamism in this
primary relationship. The quantitative study added to the research on managers’
cognitive flexibility and was based on survey responses from 203 South African
managers. The results indicated a positive relationship between managerial cognitive
frame flexibility and managerial role performance. Managerial ambidexterity and
market dynamism were in turn found to moderate this relationship under certain
conditions.
The study’s findings offer valuable insights to business people and academics,
particularly in emphasising the importance of cognitive flexibility in decision-making,
which in turn can be used to develop sustainable competitive advantages in an everchanging
business environment.
