Emmanuel Essandoh
Purpose In volatile markets, organizations struggle to convert adaptable talent into successful transformation due to an underspecified mediating mechanism. This study investigated the relationship between talent plasticity, strategic agility and transformative change management within a dynamic organizational context to address this gap. Specifically, it examined the direct influence of talent plasticity on transformative change and explored the mediating role of strategic agility in this relationship. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a cross-sectional survey design, collecting data from 530 employees of MTN Ghana, a leading firm undergoing a significant digital transformation in a volatile emerging market. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The measurement model was assessed via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the structural model, along with bootstrapping (5,000 resamples), was used to test the direct and mediating hypotheses. Findings The results revealed a significant positive relationship between talent plasticity and transformative change management. Furthermore, strategic agility was found to be a significant partial mediator in this relationship, indicating that a substantial portion of talent plasticity's impact on transformative change is channeled through the organization's capacity for strategic agility. Practical implications The findings underscore the strategic imperative for organizations to move beyond viewing talent development in isolation. To enable successful transformation, leaders must implement integrated systems that simultaneously cultivate a plastic, adaptable workforce and build the strategic agility required to deploy that talent rapidly. This involves creating structured talent mobility programs, streamlining governance for faster decision-making and embedding strategic talent considerations into the core strategic planning process. Originality/value This study provides original value by addressing a key theoretical gap: the underspecified mechanism through which adaptable talent enables organizational transformation. By integrating the resource-based and dynamic capabilities views, this study empirically demonstrates that strategic agility is the critical mediating capability that transforms a plastic talent pool into transformative change. Furthermore, it validates this model in the underexplored context of a leading African digital transformation, moving beyond Western-centric frameworks to offer a validated, actionable blueprint for achieving strategic renewal in volatile markets.