Strategic Agility in Error Management: Bridging Theory and Practice in Strategic Communication

Errors put firms’ capabilities to critical tests. The present research delves into the role of strategic agility in the pursuit of effective error management strategies. By integrating strategic agility and error management literature, the analysis illuminates on how resource fluidity, leadership unity and strategic sensitivity are key in each phase of error management strategies, encompassing error detection, error communication, and damage control. Through a historical analysis, the present study examines the Samsung’s strategic moves post the Galaxy Note 7 malfunctions reported by various consumers in August 2016. The study reveals that the three core components of strategic agility indeed facilitated the Samsung’s recovery from the initial error. The findings extend strategic agility discourse beyond prompt adjustments to the external environment, highlighting its potential in proactive internal error management. Framing strategic agility as a response mechanism to an internal error, this study underscores the necessity of cultivating the three capabilities associated with strategic agility to be prepared to effectively cope with an error, offering a novel perspective on how to firms can deal with an error and how to navigate crisis periods sometime activated by such an error. In this perspective, the present study sheds lights on the nexus between theory and practice in strategic communication, providing insights on how strategic agility can foster an organizational culture that openly cope with an error through tailored actions and consistent communication strategies.