A model for the role of strategic agility in customers' behavioral intentions in the insurance industry

Nowadays, agility is considered an important factor in advancing the organization's goals, increasing the productivity and morale of the organization's employees, and improving the employees' organizational commitment, physical and mental health, and life satisfaction. Excellence in competition is the main goal of every organization in today's unpredictable and changing business environment. In such a situation, the smallest slip by the organization can sometimes lead to its decline. Therefore, the organization's rapid response to environmental changes is of great importance and necessity, and agility is one of the solutions for it.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK:

Influencing the factors inside the organization, agility can affect the components outside the organization, such as customers. An agile organization can create a positive image in the customers' minds by providing services on time based on customers' needs and environmental changes. This image plays a vital role in customers’ behavioral intentions and attitudes. In this regard, the current research aimed to provide a model for the strategic agility of Asia Insurance Company regarding its customers' behavioral intentions

This mixed research is an applied study in terms of purpose. The statistical population of the research in its qualitative phase has comprised university professors as well as managers and experts in Asia Insurance Company. In the quantitative phase, its population includes all the employees and experts of Asia Insurance Company in Razavi Khorasan Province. In the qualitative phase, a sample size of 20 was selected based on the purposeful sampling method and, in the quantitative section, 187 people were selected by conducting a non-probability sampling method based on Cochran's formula. The data collection tool was a Delphi questionnaire and a semi-structured interview

The research results revealed eight dimensions of strategic agility, including technological capabilities, innovative creativity, organizational learning, internal balance, clarity of the organization's vision, understanding of capabilities, strategic response, and strategic sensitivity. The five dimensions of customers' behavioral intentions were identified as follows: verbal advice to others, willingness to change, stable consumption, increase in the amount of consumption, and increase in the cost of consumption. Also, the results showed that there existed a significant relationship between the dimensions of strategic agility and customers' behavioral tendencies.

 CONCLUSIONS & SUGGESTIONS:

Obtained results indicated that strategic agility and its dimensions play a decisive role in customers' behavioral intentions. Therefore, to direct the customers' needs and desires, it is necessary to pay more attention to the organization's strategic agility and to include factors such as innovation, creativity, and learning in its processes