Process industries operate in commodity markets with low product variety, little product differentiation, and highly capital-intensive manufacturing. Because prices are volatile and demand is uncertain, manufacturing capabilities become the main strategic competitive lever. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the interplay between market conditions, capital expenditure, manufacturing flexibility, and production capacity to effectively analyze the consequences of manufacturing investments in both the short and the long terms. In order to achieve this, we developed an econometric model linking market conditions and operational decisions. We tested the model on a sample of 480 firms from the mining sector and 1053 firms from the oil and gas sector. The results show that firms in process industries follow the market with their investments, which impacts their operations in the short term as well as their capacity growth in the long term. Additionally, from our findings, we propose a firm value driver model that managers could consider when deciding on capital expenditures. Finally, our results indicate that the managers of financially healthy companies should resist the stock market's short-term pressure to reduce fixed costs and instead play the long game.

Complexity negatively impacts the process of continually improving performance management systems (PMSs). The extant PMS literature considers complexity to be a result of the external environment rather than a user response to that environment. However, this paper argues that organizations generally face internal complexity when adopting PMSs. Introducing PMSs into an organization can have varied effects in those organizations based on the complexity of an organization's associated members and its interactions. This study aims to understand the emergence of complexities while implementing and using PMSs in organizations. From the complexity theory perspective, four system properties (ontological, teleological, genetic and functional) are used to understand complexity in PMSs. The paper builds on a systematic literature review consisting of 76 papers and analyses them in the light of exploring sources of complexity when implementing and using PMSs. From the outset, complexity is understood to be a result of the conflict between existing organizational practices and mechanisms and the organizational controls associated with PMSs. The key findings abstracted six sources of complexity in this study: role, task and procedural types of complexity associated with the social dimension, and methodological, analytical and technological types of complexity associated with the technical dimension. The study findings contribute to the current discussion regarding why PMSs typically lag and are not responsive and resilient in emerging contexts. While understanding and exploring all organizational controls that moderate a PMS is useful, organizations should construct the necessary capabilities, depending on their context and adapt to the changes associated with PMSs.