Paving the way for progress in employee agility research: a systematic literature review and framework

Workforce agility: a systematic literature review and research agenda

Introduction

The definition and operationalization of workforce agility, initially associated with multitasking abilities, have evolved to encompass aspects of adaptability, proactivity, and resilience, which are now widely accepted. However, some authors have expanded this concept by adding elements such as intelligence, collaboration, and social support, leading to confusion and disagreement on how to consistently measure workforce agility. Furthermore, the literature emphasizes the importance of workforce agility in achieving business goals and adopting innovative management models, yet it provides limited structured guidance for future research.

Methods

This study uses Scopus and Web of Science as the primary databases. The search was not limited to a specific period but included articles up to 2024, with an initial sample of 176 articles. After a screening process based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 74 articles were included in the thematic analysis and data synthesis.

Results

Workforce agility has been positioned as an independent, mediating, moderating, and dependent variable in various studies. Most studies examine workforce agility at the individual level, with only about 10 studies exploring this aspect at the organizational level. However, no research has specifically explored workforce agility at the team level to date. The primary objective of workforce agility research is to expand and connect theories with diverse methodological approaches, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. As a result, theoretical foundations and inter-variable relationships are established to identify recommendations for future research.

Discussion

More than 25 fundamental theories have been identified and categorized into nine groups. These nine groups were then reformulated into four general theories: Organizational and Management Theory, Communication and Social Interaction Theory, Behavioral and Learning Theory, and Economic Theory. Based on previous research, several recommendations for future research have been outlined, including conducting longitudinal studies, integrating mixed methods, considering the global cultural context, expanding research samples, developing conceptual models, exploring mediating and moderating variables, developing workforce agility theories, creating efficient evaluation methods, and implementing multilevel models.

Emotional Intelligence Outcomes in Higher Education Institutions: Empirical Evidence From a Western Context

The main outcomes of emotional intelligence (EMI) in the workplace have been researched in a variety of settings, however, few studies have focused on such consequences, particularly in the context of higher education institutions (HEIs). This research is therefore to empirically examine the impact of EMI on work-life balance, job insecurity, knowledge sharing behaviour, and workforce agility at HEIs. A total of 368 responses from academic staff members in Italy were analysed using PLS-SEM. The findings indicated that EMI has a significant impact on workforce agility, work-life balance, job insecurity, and knowledge sharing behaviour. In addition, work-life balance significantly impacted knowledge sharing behaviour, which in turn affected workforce agility. This article adds to the body of knowledge on the human resources management domain by highlighting the key consequences of EMI in HEIs within a western context. It also provides various managerial implications for concerned faculty members and senior managers at HEIs. Research limitations and avenues for further research are given.

The Effect of Employee Agility and Self-Efficacy on Innovative Behavior at Work

In order for organizations to remain competitive and successful in the contemporary business environment, one of the fundamental prerequisites is innovative behavior of employes. Therefore, research analyzing the organizational and personal factors of this behavior is relevant, in which increasing attention is paid to the agility of employees. In general, agility can be described as a person’s ability to adapt quickly and efficiently to normal or new work situations, accept changes and respond appropriately to them. The study aimed to determine the relationship between employees agility, self-efficacy, and innovative behavior in the organization and to evaluate the mediating role of self-efficacy for the relations between agility and innovative behavior. The cross-sectional survey was conducted in the sample of 172 employees. 78% of them were women, the average age of the participants was 33.8 years. Scales measuring employee agility, innovative behavior and self-efficacy were applied in the study. For this study, a Lithuanian employee agility scale consisting of twenty items was prepared. The results were processed using correlational, regression, and mediation analysis. Main results: firstly, more expressed employee agility and self-efficacy predicts their higher involvement in innovative behavior, and secondly, self-efficacy acts as a mediator for the relationship between agility and innovative behavior. The importance of the employee’s personal characteristics – agility and self-efficacy – in predicting innovative behavior was confirmed, and the role of self-efficacy as a mediator for the relationship between agility and innovative behavior was revealed. Theoretical and practical implications of the study results are discussed.

Relationship Between Paternalistic Leadership and Employee Innovation: A Meta-Analysis Among Chinese Samples

The meta-analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between three dimensions of paternalistic leadership and employee innovation in Chinese enterprises. There exists over a decade of empirical research on the influence of paternalistic leadership on employee innovation in China, but the findings from the various studies are not consistent. Sixty-nine studies from 2009 to 2021 were included in the meta-analysis, and 154 effect sizes were examined. The study found that two dimensions of paternalistic leadership (benevolent leadership r = 0.396 and moral leadership r = 0.329) were positively associated with employee innovation. In contrast, the dimension of authoritarian leadership was negatively associated with innovation (r = −0.151). Moderator analyses found that gender, the education level of employees, time, and the type of evaluation served as meaningful moderators. The moderating effects of outcome measure, the type of data collection method, and the type of publication were not significant. We discuss our limitations, implications for future studies, and practical implications for organizational management.

Workforce Agility: Development and Validation of a Multidimensional Measure

The concept of workforce agility has become increasingly popular in recent years as agile individuals are expected to be better able to handle change and uncertainty. However, agility has rarely been studied in a systematic way. Relations between agility and positive work outcomes, such as higher performance or increased well-being, have often been suggested but rarely been empirically tested. Furthermore, several different workforce agility measures are used in the literature which complicates the comparison of findings. Recognizing these gaps in the literature, we developed a new workforce agility measure, compared this measure to established workforce agility measures, and empirically tested the relations of workforce agility with work outcomes. For this purpose, we surveyed participants from two samples (N ₁ = 218, N ₂ = 533). In a first step, we used Sample 1 to examine the factor structure of the measure for item selection. In a second step, we used Sample 2 to confirm the 10-factor structure and to compare the predictive validity of our measure along with two other agility measures. Findings demonstrate predictive validity for all three workforce agility scales, especially in relation to innovative performance. Furthermore, workforce agility related positively to task and innovative performance, organizational citizenship behavior, job satisfaction, and well-being.