Firm performance in dynamic environments: The role of operational slack and operational scope
研究了运营范围（产品广度、地理多元化、生产灵活性）和运营冗余（超额资源）对企业绩效的影响，发现运营范围在不可预测环境中提升绩效，运营冗余在不稳定环境中提升绩效。
Abstract This study examines the effects of operational scope (breadth of product offering, extent of geographical diversification, and extent to which production processes can effectively meet varying demand) and operational slack (resources in excess of what is required to fulfill expected demand) on firm performance, contingent on two components of a firm's dynamic environment, unpredictability and instability. We collate quarterly data on 3857 publicly traded firms in 19 industries from the years 1991 to 2013 (representing 99,559 firm‐quarter observations). Using panel data analysis, we find that narrow product offerings, low geographical diversification, low levels of excess capacity, and low inventory slack are each positively associated with firm performance. More importantly though, we find that operational scope is associated with improved performance in unpredictable environments, whereas operational slack is associated with improved performance in unstable environments. These findings contribute to the research on operations strategy by identifying the industry‐specific environmental conditions under which operational slack and operational scope are associated with firm performance.