Strategic Direction and Organizational Resilience in the Face of Adverse Business Environment

Strategic Direction and Organizational Resilience in the Face of Adverse Business Environment

Authors

  • Saskia Patricia García Aucatoma Doctorado en Administración Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE
  • Edison Alexis Torres Cunalata Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo. Riobamba, Ecuador. ORCID iD https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6384-8874

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33936/eca_sinergia.v17i1.8342

Keywords:

Organizational resilience; Dynamic capabilities; Strategic innovation; Adaptive management.

Abstract

Abstract

 

Contemporary organizations operate in environments characterized by high volatility, uncertainty, and structural disruptions, which challenge their capacity for adaptation and long-term sustainability. The objective of this study is to analyze and conceptualize the foundations of strategic management under adverse conditions. Methodologically, the research adopts an exploratory-descriptive qualitative design based on a systematic integrative literature review, complemented by a comparative analysis of selected international cases. The findings lead to the development of an integrative conceptual framework grounded in four interrelated pillars: dynamic capabilities, innovation, organizational resilience, and adaptive strategies. Evidence suggests that strategic effectiveness in adverse contexts depends on the systemic alignment of these capabilities, enabling not only crisis mitigation but also organizational learning and sustainable value creation. The study concludes that resilience constitutes a transversal strategic capability, while adaptive leadership, flexible innovation, and scenario planning emerge as key practices to enhance organizational responsiveness. Future research should focus on empirically validating the proposed framework across diverse organizational contexts.

Keywords: Organizational resilience, Dynamic capabilities, Strategic innovation, Adaptive management, M19.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Acero, L. (2023). Dirección estratégica (3a ed.). Ecoe Ediciones S.A.S. https://books.google.com.ec/books/about/Direcci%C3%B3n_estrat%C3%A9gica.html?id=XOG9EAAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y

Ahmed, E. H. E. H. (2024). Dynamic Capabilities—Alternative Perspectives. En A. Hamdan & A. Harraf (Eds.), Business Development via AI and Digitalization (Vol. 538, pp. 575–586). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-62102-4_48

Andersen, T. J. (2021). Dynamic Adaptive Strategy-making Processes for Enhanced Strategic Responsiveness*. En T. J. Andersen (Ed.), Strategic Responses for a Sustainable Future: New Research in International Management (pp. 49–65). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80071-929-320214003

Andersen, T. J., & Nielsen, B. B. (2009). Adaptive strategy making: The effects of emergent and intended strategy modes. European Management Review, 6(2), 94–106. https://doi.org/10.1057/emr.2009.7

Argyris, C., & Schön, D. (1978). Organizational learning: A theory of action perspective. Addison-Wesley.

Barney, J. (1991). Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700108

Bertalanffy, L. (1968). General systems theory as integrating factor in contemporary science (1–2). Akten des XIV. Internationalen Kongresses für Philosophie.

Bhattacharyya, S. S., & Fernandes, C. (2022). Café Tato’s strategic initiatives: Business continuity in COVID-19 realities. CASE Journal, 18(3), 442–462. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/TCJ-07-2021-0108

Cadrazco-Parra, W., Zapata-Domínguez, Á., & Lombana-Coy, J. (2020). Capacidades dinámicas: Aportes y tendencias. Revista Lasallista de Investigación, 17(1), 325–337. https://doi.org/10.22507/rli.v17n1a13

Cepeda, G. (2006). Understanding the link between knowledge management and firm performance: Articulating and codifying critical knowledge areas. International Journal of Knowledge and Learning, 2(3/4), 238. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJKL.2006.010994

Cohen, W. M., & Levinthal, D. A. (1990). Absorptive Capacity: A New Perspective on Learning and Innovation.

Duchek, S. (2015). DESIGNING ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY? AN ANALYSIS of KNOWLEDGE ABSORPTION PRACTICES in GERMAN HIGH-TECH FIRMS. International Journal of Innovation Management, 19(4). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1142/S1363919615500449

Fagbemi, T., Dosumu, O., Adigun, R., Nakpodia, F., & Sakariyahu, R. (2025). Resilience and adaptation of third sector organizations (TSOs) during crisis situations: Insights from a West African economy. Financial Accountability & Management, 41(1), 89–115. https://doi.org/10.1111/faam.12408

Ferreira, J., Coelho, A., & Moutinho, L. (2020). Dynamic capabilities, creativity and innovation capability and their impact on competitive advantage and firm performance: The moderating role of entrepreneurial orientation. Technovation, 92–93, 102061. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2018.11.004

Gala-Velásquez, B. D. L., Ruiz-Ortega, M. J., García-Villaverde, P. M., & Hurtado-Palomino, A. (2024). Can ambidexterity lead to pioneering orientation in adverse situations? A new approach about when and how. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 198, 122993. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122993

Garcia, F., Hammontree, M. C. D., Duarte, P., & Helms, M. M. (2022). Adaptations of multinational subsidiaries for surviving host country crises: A case study of Venezuela. International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets, 14(4), 396–414. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijbem.2022.126584

Georgescu, I., Bocean, C. G., Vărzaru, A. A., Rotea, C. C., Mangra, M. G., & Mangra, G. I. (2024). Enhancing Organizational Resilience: The Transformative Influence of Strategic Human Resource Management Practices and Organizational Culture. Sustainability, 16(10), 4315. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104315

Green, S. D., Larsen, G. D., & Kao, C. (2008). Competitive strategy revisited: Contested concepts and dynamic capabilities. Construction Management and Economics, 26(1), 63–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446190701656174

Halliday, B., Van Der Laan, L., & Raineri, A. (2024). Prioritizing Work Health, Safety, and Wellbeing in Corporate Strategies: An Indicative Framework. Safety, 10(1), 18. https://doi.org/10.3390/safety10010018

Holling, C. S. (1978). Adaptive Environmental Assessment and Management. John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hong, H., Kubik, J. D., & Scheinkman, J. A. (2012). Financial Constraints on Corporate Goodness. National Bureau of Economic Research. http://www.nber.org/papers/w18476

Hull, R. B. (2022). Adaptive Management. En B. Hale, A. Light, & L. Lawhon, The Routledge Companion to Environmental Ethics (1a ed., pp. 717–726). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315768090-70

Imeni, M., & Edalatpanah, S. A. (2023). Resilience: Business Sustainability Based on Risk Management. En H. Garg (Ed.), Advances in Reliability, Failure and Risk Analysis (pp. 199–213). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9909-3_9

Kaleta, A., Radomska, J., & Sołoducho-Pelc, L. (2018). The relationship between the approach to strategic management and innovativeness in companies of various sizes. Argumenta Oeconomica, 1(40), 203–224. https://doi.org/10.15611/aoe.2018.1.09

Kolen, B., & Helsloot, I. (2014). Decision‐making and evacuation planning for flood risk management in the Netherlands. Disasters, 38(3), 610–635. https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12059

Lengnick-Hall, C. A., Beck, T. E., & Lengnick-Hall, M. L. (2011). Developing a capacity for organizational resilience through strategic human resource management. International Human Resource Management: Theoretical and Strategic Advances, 21(3), 243–255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2010.07.001

Li, D., & Liu, J. (2014). Dynamic capabilities, environmental dynamism, and competitive advantage: Evidence from China. Journal of Business Research, 67(1), 2793–2799. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2012.08.007

López-Fernández, A. M. (2016). I cross my heart, hope to live: LPCI Insurance Company’s dilemma in protecting mutual interests in Mexico. Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, 6(1), 1–14. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1108/EEMCS-06-2015-0145

Marbawi, Dharma, Y., Faliza, N., Fakhrial, H., & Malinda, R. (2024). Risk Management Strategies in the Tourism Industry: Developing an ANP Model for Risk Reduction and Resilience Enhancement Amid Crises. Journal of Ecohumanism, 3(8). https://doi.org/10.62754/joe.v3i8.4916

Meng, M., Wahat, N. W. A., Abdullah, H. B., & Zairul, M. (2024). Leadership strategies for chinese successors to build sustainable family business resilience amid the pandemic. Journal of Environmental Protection and Ecology, 25(7), 2572–2584. Scopus. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85211343803&partnerID=40&md5=c8d8092abf05cb3d7eb165f0690e4c60

Mudronja, G., & Aksentijević, D. (2024). Framework for Planning the Implementation of Innovations in Seaport Operations: Case Study of the Seaport of Rijeka. 2024 47th MIPRO ICT and Electronics Convention (MIPRO), 927–932. https://doi.org/10.1109/MIPRO60963.2024.10569448

Naujoks, H. (2010). Strategic management in turbulent times. En More than Bricks in the Wall: Organizational Perspectives for Sustainable Success (pp. 104–111). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-8349-8945-1_11

Oosthuizen, M., & Scheepers, C. (2018). Strategic foresight for organizational agility at Nedbank Area Collaboration. Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, 8(1), 1–43. https://doi.org/10.1108/EEMCS-12-2016-0221

Panagiotopoulos, P., Protogerou, A., & Caloghirou, Y. (2023). Dynamic capabilities and ICT utilization in public organizations: An Empirical testing in local government. Long Range Planning, 56(1), 102251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2022.102251

Rahbari, M., Arshadi Khamseh, A., & Sadati-Keneti, Y. (2024). Resilience strategies in coping to disruptions of wheat supply chain caused by the Russia–Ukraine war crisis: Case study from an emerging economy. Kybernetes, 53(10), 2984–3018. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-12-2022-1728

Schoemaker, P. (1995). Scenario Planning: A Tool for Strategic Thinking. MIT Sloan Management Review.

Schumpeter, J. (1934). The theory of economic development. Harvard University Press.

Shashyn, O., Prus, Y., Portnov, Y., Borshch, V., & Mykhailiv, H. (2024). Fostering innovation through collaborative leadership: Developing a novel framework for strategic management. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 6, 2024ss0722. https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2024ss0722

Shuen, A., Feiler, P. F., & Teece, D. J. (2014). Dynamic capabilities in the upstream oil and gas sector: Managing next generation competition. Energy Strategy Reviews, 3, 5–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2014.05.002

Stacey, R. (1996). Emerging strategies for a chaotic environment. Long Range Planning, 29(2), 182–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/0024-6301(96)00006-4

Tavana, M. (2014). Analytical approaches to strategic decision-making: Interdisciplinary considerations (p. 387). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-5958-2

Teece, D. J., Pisano, G., & Shuen, A. (1997). Dynamic capabilities and strategic management. Strategic Management Journal, 18(7), 509–533. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0266(199708)18:7<509::AID-SMJ882>3.0.CO;2-Z

Vargo, J., & Seville, E. (2011). Crisis strategic planning for SMEs: Finding the silver lining. International Journal of Production Research, 49(18), 5619–5635. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2011.563902

Vidal, R., Carvalho, H., & Cruz-Machado, V. A. (2014). Strategic Resilience Development: A Study Using Delphi. En J. Xu, V. A. Cruz-Machado, B. Lev, & S. Nickel (Eds.), Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Management Science and Engineering Management (Vol. 281, pp. 1245–1255). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-55122-2_107

Vrontis, D., Thrassou, A., Bozat, M., & Efthymiou, L. (2024). Profiling Business in Uncertainty: Evolution, Transformation, and Adaptation Across Disciplines and Typologies. En D. Vrontis, A. Thrassou, L. Efthymiou, Y. Weber, S. M. R. Shams, & E. Tsoukatos (Eds.), Business in Uncertainty (pp. 1–22). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-65587-6_1

Yu, J., Yuan, L., Han, G., Li, H., & Li, P. (2022). A Study of the Impact of Strategic Human Resource Management on Organizational Resilience. Behavioral Sciences, 12(12), 508. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12120508

Zhaleleva, R., Gabdullin, R., & Zavalishina, A. (2013). Factor-target approach to realization of innovative industrialization of Kazakhstan’s economy. Actual Problems of Economics, 145(7), 323–332. Scopus. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84923798499&partnerID=40&md5=8e65e55df9d0cf2f6328d8e4348931ee

Zorrilla, M. F., Akgunduz, A., & Schmitt, K. (2022). Can strategic resilience coexist with lean approaches? A case study of the aviation industry. 2022 IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISTAS55053.2022.10226645

Published

2026-03-27