Managing Uncertainty: Company’s Adaptive Capabilities during Covid-19

The concept of organizational learning receives increasing attention and recognition in recent years as a critical enabler of organizational adaptation, survival, and growth during uncertain times. Our study applies a sociotechnical lens to shed light on the organizational learning processes taking...

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Main Authors: Iva Atanassova, Peter Bednar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Riga Technical University Press 2022-12-01
Series:Complex Systems Informatics and Modeling Quarterly
Subjects:
Online Access:https://csimq-journals.rtu.lv/article/view/6186
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author Iva Atanassova
Peter Bednar
author_facet Iva Atanassova
Peter Bednar
author_sort Iva Atanassova
collection DOAJ
description The concept of organizational learning receives increasing attention and recognition in recent years as a critical enabler of organizational adaptation, survival, and growth during uncertain times. Our study applies a sociotechnical lens to shed light on the organizational learning processes taking place in 40 various sizes and kinds of UK businesses during the critical, volatile, and unprecedented period – February–May 2021. The study identifies learning antecedents and key organizational context enabling and/or impeding learning processes and follow-up evolution within the studied companies. Our research confirms that in an uncertain environment, companies need to develop and apply ad-hoc learning and quick adaptation practices which are critical for survival and growth, and not standard management practices. The findings suggest, however, that even if employees have capability, not all are able to capture and transform intelligence into learning and apply it at a strategic level, reconfiguring purposefully future operational capabilities to respond to environmental changes, as they are not empowered and supported by the organizational management.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2255-9922
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publishDate 2022-12-01
publisher Riga Technical University Press
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series Complex Systems Informatics and Modeling Quarterly
spelling doaj-art-82ee782be3af4c958b77246a07651b542025-02-03T12:03:20ZengRiga Technical University PressComplex Systems Informatics and Modeling Quarterly2255-99222022-12-01033143910.7250/csimq.2022-33.022976Managing Uncertainty: Company’s Adaptive Capabilities during Covid-19Iva Atanassova0Peter Bednar1Business Management Department, University of Aberdeen, King’s College, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, United KingdomSchool of Computing, Buckingham Building, Lion Terrace, Portsmouth PO1 3HE, United KingdomThe concept of organizational learning receives increasing attention and recognition in recent years as a critical enabler of organizational adaptation, survival, and growth during uncertain times. Our study applies a sociotechnical lens to shed light on the organizational learning processes taking place in 40 various sizes and kinds of UK businesses during the critical, volatile, and unprecedented period – February–May 2021. The study identifies learning antecedents and key organizational context enabling and/or impeding learning processes and follow-up evolution within the studied companies. Our research confirms that in an uncertain environment, companies need to develop and apply ad-hoc learning and quick adaptation practices which are critical for survival and growth, and not standard management practices. The findings suggest, however, that even if employees have capability, not all are able to capture and transform intelligence into learning and apply it at a strategic level, reconfiguring purposefully future operational capabilities to respond to environmental changes, as they are not empowered and supported by the organizational management.https://csimq-journals.rtu.lv/article/view/6186covid-19organizational learningdynamic capability
spellingShingle Iva Atanassova
Peter Bednar
Managing Uncertainty: Company’s Adaptive Capabilities during Covid-19
Complex Systems Informatics and Modeling Quarterly
covid-19
organizational learning
dynamic capability
title Managing Uncertainty: Company’s Adaptive Capabilities during Covid-19
title_full Managing Uncertainty: Company’s Adaptive Capabilities during Covid-19
title_fullStr Managing Uncertainty: Company’s Adaptive Capabilities during Covid-19
title_full_unstemmed Managing Uncertainty: Company’s Adaptive Capabilities during Covid-19
title_short Managing Uncertainty: Company’s Adaptive Capabilities during Covid-19
title_sort managing uncertainty company s adaptive capabilities during covid 19
topic covid-19
organizational learning
dynamic capability
url https://csimq-journals.rtu.lv/article/view/6186
work_keys_str_mv AT ivaatanassova managinguncertaintycompanysadaptivecapabilitiesduringcovid19
AT peterbednar managinguncertaintycompanysadaptivecapabilitiesduringcovid19