Contextual agility informing market shaping

Anders Liljenberg (2022)

Industrial Marketing Management, 102, pp. 229-239

Abstract. Making sense of a markets is a necessary precursor to any strategizing such as shaping. Still, the nature of this sense-making is oftentimes kept in the dark. It is somehow subordinate to what follows. The lack of such explicit market portrayals entails the risk of myopia to the detriment of seeing shaping possibilities. It also means that ensuing strategic efforts risk to go in vain as they possibly mirror an oversimplified reality. Making agile sense of the surrounding market context turns these two potential shortcomings into opportunities. Such contextual agility is an aptitude of some firms. It is a knowledge ability which prepares for agency in a prompt and responsive way as some representational practices translate into shaping practices. This conceptual research introduces contextual agility which hosts representational, entrepreneurial, and agile elements. This ability of individual firms promises to inform market shaping as its points of departure are clarified. It is here illustrated via contested product qualification, consumer Covid-19 vaccine skepticism.

Extract: “7. Discussion
The preceding section depicts some aspects of the United States Covid-19 vaccine market as experienced via consumer skepticism. Relating such contested exchange object qualification means relying upon justifications in order to mirror a larger market whole (Boltanski & Thévenot, 2006 (1991)). Hereby, an illustration is furnished as to how contextual agility could play out in practice by recognizing skepticism which hampers market exchange. The second-hand data put forward here is not generated while sticking to a carefully elaborated methodology.” (p. 235)

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