Systems thinking and organizational performance: The mediation of decision-making under perceived environmental uncertainty in Peruvian manufacturing

Mayo-Alvarez L.; Goñi-Avila N. · Heliyon (2026) · DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2026.e45403

Resumen

Systems thinking has been widely recognized as an important organizational capability; however, limited empirical research has examined how it is associated with organizational performance through managerial decision-making processes in emerging manufacturing contexts. This study analyzes the relationship between systems thinking, decision-making, and organizational performance using an Input–Process–Output (I–P–O) framework primarily grounded in Information Processing Theory (IPT). The study also explores whether perceived environmental uncertainty moderates this relationship. A quantitative, correlational–explanatory, cross-sectional design was employed. Data were collected from 432 manufacturing firms in Metropolitan Lima, Peru, through a response-based sampling process. Mediation and moderated mediation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro. The results indicated that decision-making fully mediated the relationship between systems thinking and organizational performance. Systems thinking was positively associated with decision-making (β = 0.552, p < .001), and decision-making was positively associated with organizational performance (β = 0.540, p < .001). The direct relationship between systems thinking and organizational performance was not significant (β = −0.010, p = .833). In addition, perceived environmental uncertainty did not significantly moderate the indirect relationship (Index = 0.005; 95% Boot CI [−0.022, 0.112]). These findings suggest that decision-making represents the main mechanism through which systems thinking is associated with organizational performance in the analyzed firms. The study contributes empirical evidence from the Peruvian manufacturing sector and supports the usefulness of an IPT-based I–P–O framework for examining organizational information-processing relationships in emerging-market contexts. Practical implications are discussed in relation to managerial capability development and organizational adaptation in manufacturing environments.

Instituciones: Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola