Contextual agility informing market shaping

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. •Market shaping does not depart in a vacuum but in market sensemaking.•Alert market representations host opportunities which can be prepared for.•Contextual agility is an aptitude of some firms, a fundamental knowledge ability.•Contextual agility prepares for agency in a prompt and responsive way.•Representational practices translate into shaping via contextual agility.