Strategic Foresight and its influence on Organisational Agility in Emerging Enterprises in South Africa

Abstract

This quantitative study tests the relationship between strategic foresight and organisational agility in South African ICT SMMEs. It assesses the impact of three strategic foresight dimensions, namely environmental scanning, scenario planning, and strategic visioning, on organisational agility using survey data from ICT SMME decision- makers. Reliability testing, correlation, and multiple regression analyses reveal that environmental scanning significantly predicts organisational agility, confirming its critical role as a sensing capability enabling proactive adaptation. Scenario planning and strategic visioning showed positive but statistically insignificant effects, indicating challenges in their practical integration. Environmental scanning was found to be significantly related to agility and assists in proactive market adaptation. Scenario planning and strategic visioning were not found to be significantly related to agility and these practices are not being fully utilised. Lack, of resources, time remains a challenge, as well as the skills to implement these practices effectively. The findings highlight the need for embedding foresight practices into leadership and operational processes to enhance agility. This study contributes empirical evidence to the differentiated impact of foresight dimensions on agility and offers practical insights for ICT SMMEs aiming to improve responsiveness in dynamic environments.