Title: An empirical examination of barriers to strategic flexibility in Indian manufacturing industries using analytical hierarchy process

Authors: Doordarshi Singh; Jaspreet Singh Oberoi; Inderpreet Singh Ahuja

Addresses: Mechanical Engineering Department, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College, Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, India ' Mechanical Engineering Department, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College, Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, India ' Mechanical Engineering Department, University College of Engineering, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, India

Abstract: Strategic flexibility is becoming a very important concept in manufacturing industry in order to respond to threats posed by environmental uncertainty and to survive in highly volatile environment these days. These uncertainties are posed by fast and dramatic changes in customer expectations, competition, and technology. In the present scenario, manufacturing organisations are seeking to enhance flexibility. But achieving flexibility is not a trivial task. There are many barriers and investigating these barriers is necessary to understand and overcome them. In this study, 102 manufacturing organisations have been extensively surveyed to assess the barriers to achieve strategic flexibility and relationships among various barriers have been established by using analytical hierarchy process (AHP).

Keywords: strategic flexibility; flexibility barriers; AHP; analytical hierarchy process; decision making; India; manufacturing industry; flexible manufacturing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTPM.2013.056707

International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management, 2013 Vol.13 No.4, pp.313 - 327

Received: 18 May 2012
Accepted: 07 Sep 2012
Published online: 30 Sep 2014 *

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