From Adaptation to Transformation: An Extended Research Agenda for Organizational Resilience to Adversity in the Natural Environment

Abstract

This article aims to encourage research into how organizations can manage their resilience in response to adverse conditions stemming from the natural environment (ecological adversity). While firms may have a general ability to cope with unfavorable operating environments, adaptation to ecological adversity in particular may actually face serious limitations. Using an interdisciplinary approach that draws from resilience theory in socioecology, this article develops several lines of inquiry. First, we identify the mechanisms by which organizational resilience may fluctuate as firms adapt to changing levels of ecological adversity. Second, we suggest that the existing conceptualization of organizational resilience could be expanded to include transformative change, which may allow firms to mitigate the operational impacts of reaching adaptation limits. Finally, we consider the resilience implications of the interdependency between firms and the broader ecosystems in which they operate. We conclude with potential avenues for future research in this area.