The KLC Cultures Synergy for Organizational Agility. Trust, Risk-Taking Attitude, and Critical Thinking as Moderators

Abstract

Organizational agility is visible in organizational change adaptability, and it is based on the development of dynamic capabilities, strategic sensitivity of leaders, accuracy and timing of decision-making, learning aptitude, flexibility in thinking and acting, and smooth resource flow across organizations, including the knowledge resource. In such a context, this study aimed to expose how the knowledge, learning, and collaboration cultures approach (KLC) supports organizational agility when this relation is moderated by mutual trust among employees, risk-taking attitude, and critical thinking abilities. Based on the sample composed of 640 Polish knowledge workers and data analyzed with the structural equation modeling method (SEM), the results of this study proved that the KLC cultures synergy supports organizational agility building and, that the mistakes acceptance component of learning culture is critical. Moreover, trust among workmates, risk-taking readiness, and critical thinking skills are significant mediators. The key novelty was exposed through the negative influence of a risk-taking attitude (uncertainty acceptance) on agility. Precisely, the lack of risk acceptance or, reversely, the risk-avoidance attitude supports agility. This is because agility, understood as smooth adaptability, is the effect of efficient risk management. Thanks to risk management and critical thinking, the negative impact of inaction risks can often be seen as higher than the risks of very innovative actions. The KLC approach, critical thinking, and trust among workmates support the smooth selection of risks that must be taken in today's dynamic business. Risk is inevitable. So, from this point, the essence of agility is the ability to smoothly and wisely select among risks that should be taken or avoided. In summary, agility can be considered to be the smooth selection of acceptable risks.