Purpose This paper aims to empirically investigate the triadic relationship between internal integration, internal flexibility and external flexibility. Design/methodology/approach This research hypothesized the mediation effect of internal flexibility on the relationship between internal integration and external flexibility. Survey data were collected and analyzed using simple and mediation regression analysis to test the study hypotheses. Findings The research finding reveals that machine, labor and material handling flexibilities; being as internal flexibility dimensions mediate the relationship between internal integration and volume and mix flexibilities; being as external flexibility dimensions. The results provided insufficient evidence on the mediating effect of routing flexibility on the relationship between internal integration and both volume and mix flexibilities. Research limitations/implications This research presents a new perspective for research studies to understand the factors that affect manufacturing flexibility. However, the nature of the surveyed sample and using of a single informant might limit the generalizability of the research findings. Practical implications This study provides useful insights for firms wishing to enhance their competitiveness through improving their flexibility. The companies should be aware of the importance of developing a suitable platform for coordinating inter-departmental activities to enhance its internal competencies, which, in turn, improve its customer-facing capabilities and boosts its competitiveness. Originality/value This paper contributes to knowledge by proposing and empirically testing the mediating effect of internal flexibility on the relationship between internal integration and external flexibility.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the contingent effect of supply chain strategies on supply chain integration (SCI)-performance relationship in manufacturing organizations.Design/methodology/approachThis research hypothesized the moderation effect of agile, responsive, risk-hedging and efficient strategies on the relationship between SCI and operational performance (OP). Survey data were collected from a sample of 112 Egyptian manufacturing firms and analyzed using moderated regression analyses to test the study hypotheses.FindingsThe results provide supporting evidence that the four strategies moderate the relationship between internal integration (II) and OP. The results also indicated that agile strategy moderates the relationship between customer and supplier integration and OP. Besides, the results indicated that responsive strategy moderates the effect of customer integration (CI) on OP. Finally, the results did not provide sufficient evidence regarding the moderating effect of risk-hedging strategy on supplier integration (SI)-performance relationship.Research limitations/implicationsThe nature of the surveyed sample and the use of a single informant might limit the ability to generalize the research findings outside the research context.Practical implicationsThe research results provide managers of manufacturing organizations with the roadmap to maximize the benefits from their integrative efforts through emphasizing the appropriate supply chain strategy (SCS) with respect to the market demand/supply conditions.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to knowledge by empirically validating the contingent effect of SCS on the relationship between SCI and OP.