Structure and an unstable business operating environment: Revisiting burns and stalker’s organisation-environment theory in zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector

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dc.article.end-page12en_ZA
dc.article.start-page1en_ZA
dc.citation.doi10.4102/sajems.v22i1.2113en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorSibindi, N
dc.contributor.authorSamuel, O.M
dc.date.accessioned2020-07-28T09:22:03Z
dc.date.available2020-07-28T09:22:03Z
dc.date.issued2019-12-10
dc.description.abstractBackground: Turbulent socioeconomic contexts coupled with volatile political environments pose a serious survival threat to business organisations. Complex operational environment of this dimension most often resists application of conventional management theories and practices. Organisational managers are therefore constantly challenged to adopt contingency strategies that will not only keep their organisations afloat, but also entrench competitive advantage that could effectively sustain operations. Aim: To update Burns and Stalker’s theory on structure and business environments. Setting: The dynamics of the Zimbabwe’s economy has assumed an extraordinary proportion of complexity due to intractable political instability and hostile economic environment. Methods: Using a survey research design and employing quantitative research strategy, this article examines the underlining propositions that defined the seminal work of Burns and Stalker regarding strategy adoption by organisations in a dynamic operating environment. Primary data was collected from 189 randomly selected managers in 350 manufacturing firms operating in Zimbabwe using a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Results: The major finding of the present study suggests that firms adopt a hybrid structure when confronted with an unstable operating environment. Conclusion: The finding is inconsistent with that of Burns and Stalker, who concluded that firms adopt organic structure in an unstable operating environment. While Burns and Stalker’s study was conducted in a relatively stable socioeconomic context, the present study was conducted in an operating environment that is characterised by turbulent socioeconomic and political instability. These environmental divergences could have influenced the outcome of both studies. © 2019. The Authors.en_ZA
dc.description.librarianTT2020en_ZA
dc.facultyFaculty of Commerce, Law and Managementen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationSibindi, N. & Samuel, O.M., 2019, ‘Structure and an unstable business operating environment: Revisiting Burns and Stalker’s organisation-environment theory in Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector’, South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences 22(1), a2113.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn(Online) 2222-3436
dc.identifier.issn(Print) 1015-8812
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/29275
dc.journal.issue1en_ZA
dc.journal.linkhttps://doi.org/ 10.4102/sajems.v22i1.2113en_ZA
dc.journal.titleSouth African Journal of Economic and Management Sciencesen_ZA
dc.journal.volume22en_ZA
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherAOSIS (pty) Ltden_ZA
dc.rights© 2019. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.en_ZA
dc.schoolSchool of Economics and Financeen_ZA
dc.subjectBurns and Stalkeren_ZA
dc.subjectCompetitive advantageen_ZA
dc.subjectContingency approachen_ZA
dc.subjectMechanistic structureen_ZA
dc.subjectOrganic structureen_ZA
dc.subjectOrganisational structureen_ZA
dc.subjectPolitical instabilityen_ZA
dc.subjectUnderdeveloped economiesen_ZA
dc.subjectUnstable operating environmenten_ZA
dc.titleStructure and an unstable business operating environment: Revisiting burns and stalker’s organisation-environment theory in zimbabwe’s manufacturing sectoren_ZA
dc.title.alternativeSouth African Journal of Economic and Management Sciencesen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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