IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v171y2024ics014829632300718x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Transform to adapt or resilient by design? How organizations can foster resilience through business model transformation

Author

Listed:
  • Grego, Marica
  • Magnani, Giovanna
  • Denicolai, Stefano

Abstract

Advisors and consultants consider business model transformation (BMT) as vital in responding to disruptive events like the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some companies demonstrated exceptional resilience during the pandemic without BMT. Given this scenario, we investigate the effect of BMT on firm resilience in 2020, the pandemic’s first year. We collect data from 336 Italian companies and develop an improved resilience measure that maximizes consistency with our theoretical framework. The results reveal that firms following an adaptive path towards resilience successfully leverage BMT. We also found that innovative and more internationalized companies are more likely to follow an absorptive path towards resilience, thus reducing the need for BMT when facing shocks. High levels of resilience can be achieved through small adjustments around a situation of constant equilibrium. Our study advances the resilience literature by showing that an absorptive path is equally effective to an adaptive path in fostering organizational resilience.

Suggested Citation

  • Grego, Marica & Magnani, Giovanna & Denicolai, Stefano, 2024. "Transform to adapt or resilient by design? How organizations can foster resilience through business model transformation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:171:y:2024:i:c:s014829632300718x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114359
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014829632300718X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114359?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Brown, Charlotte & Seville, Erica & Vargo, John, 2017. "Measuring the organizational resilience of critical infrastructure providers: A New Zealand case study," International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 37-49.
    2. Kenneth Bollen, 1996. "An alternative two stage least squares (2SLS) estimator for latent variable equations," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 61(1), pages 109-121, March.
    3. Giovanni Gavetti & Daniel A. Levinthal & Jan W. Rivkin, 2005. "Strategy making in novel and complex worlds: the power of analogy," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(8), pages 691-712, August.
    4. Jim Dewald & Frances Bowen, 2010. "Storm Clouds and Silver Linings: Responding to Disruptive Innovations Through Cognitive Resilience," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 34(1), pages 197-218, January.
    5. Yu, Honglan & Fletcher, Margaret & Buck, Trevor, 2022. "Managing digital transformation during re-internationalization: Trajectories and implications for performance," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(4).
    6. Armstrong, J. Scott & Overton, Terry S., 1977. "Estimating Nonresponse Bias in Mail Surveys," MPRA Paper 81694, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Terje Aven, 2019. "The Call for a Shift from Risk to Resilience: What Does it Mean?," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 39(6), pages 1196-1203, June.
    8. Verbeke, Alain & Brugman, Paul, 2009. "Triple-testing the quality of multinationality-performance research: An internalization theory perspective," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 265-275, June.
    9. Denicolai, Stefano & Zucchella, Antonella & Magnani, Giovanna, 2021. "Internationalization, digitalization, and sustainability: Are SMEs ready? A survey on synergies and substituting effects among growth paths," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    10. Jichang Zhang & Jing Long & Alexandra Martina Eugenie von Schaewen, 2021. "How Does Digital Transformation Improve Organizational Resilience?—Findings from PLS-SEM and fsQCA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-22, October.
    11. Christian Schwens & Florian B Zapkau & Keith D Brouthers & Lina Hollender, 2018. "Limits to international entry mode learning in SMEs," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(7), pages 809-831, September.
    12. Pla-Barber, José & Linares, Esmeralda & Ghauri, Pervez N., 2019. "The choice of offshoring operation mode: A behavioural perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 570-580.
    13. Andersen, Torben Juul, 2012. "Multinational risk and performance outcomes: Effects of knowledge intensity and industry context," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 239-252.
    14. Gary A Knight & S Tamar Cavusgil, 2004. "Innovation, organizational capabilities, and the born-global firm," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(2), pages 124-141, March.
    15. Ajai S Gaur & Xufei Ma & Zhujun Ding, 2018. "Home country supportiveness/unfavorableness and outward foreign direct investment from China," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(3), pages 324-345, April.
    16. Do, Hoa & Budhwar, Pawan & Shipton, Helen & Nguyen, Hai-Dang & Nguyen, Bach, 2022. "Building organizational resilience, innovation through resource-based management initiatives, organizational learning and environmental dynamism," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 808-821.
    17. Prachi Deuskar & Deng Pan & Fei Wu & Hongfeng Zhou, 2021. "How does regret affect investor behaviour? Evidence from Chinese stock markets," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(S1), pages 1851-1896, April.
    18. Parker, Hamieda & Ameen, Khadija, 2018. "The role of resilience capabilities in shaping how firms respond to disruptions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 535-541.
    19. Yuan, Ruizhi & Luo, Jun & Liu, Martin J. & Yu, Jiang, 2022. "Understanding organizational resilience in a platform-based sharing business: The role of absorptive capacity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 85-99.
    20. Sea-Jin Chang & Arjen van Witteloostuijn & Lorraine Eden, 2010. "From the Editors: Common method variance in international business research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(2), pages 178-184, February.
    21. Hoda ElMaraghy & Waguih ElMaraghy, 2022. "Adaptive Cognitive Manufacturing System (ACMS) – a new paradigm," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 60(24), pages 7436-7449, December.
    22. Kohtamäki, Marko & Parida, Vinit & Oghazi, Pejvak & Gebauer, Heiko & Baines, Tim, 2019. "Digital servitization business models in ecosystems: A theory of the firm," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 380-392.
    23. Kurt, Yusuf & Sinkovics, Noemi & Sinkovics, Rudolf R. & Yamin, Mo, 2020. "The role of spirituality in Islamic business networks: The case of internationalizing Turkish SMEs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(1).
    24. Denicolai, Stefano & Hagen, Birgit & Zucchella, Antonella & Cubero Dudinskaya, Emilia, 2019. "When less family is more: Trademark acquisition, family ownership, and internationalization," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 238-251.
    25. Colm O’Gorman & Declan Curran, 2017. "Strategic transformations in large Irish-owned businesses," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 59(4), pages 497-524, May.
    26. Conz, Elisa & Magnani, Giovanna, 2020. "A dynamic perspective on the resilience of firms: A systematic literature review and a framework for future research," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 400-412.
    27. Brahim Herbane, 2019. "Rethinking organizational resilience and strategic renewal in SMEs," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(5-6), pages 476-495, May.
    28. Santoro, Gabriele & Bertoldi, Bernardo & Giachino, Chiara & Candelo, Elena, 2020. "Exploring the relationship between entrepreneurial resilience and success: The moderating role of stakeholders' engagement," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 142-150.
    29. Emma Brandon-Jones & Brian Squire & Chad W. Autry & Kenneth J. Petersen, 2014. "A Contingent Resource-Based Perspective of Supply Chain Resilience and Robustness," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 50(3), pages 55-73, July.
    30. William Black & Barry J. Babin, 2019. "Multivariate Data Analysis: Its Approach, Evolution, and Impact," Springer Books, in: Barry J. Babin & Marko Sarstedt (ed.), The Great Facilitator, pages 121-130, Springer.
    31. Gary A Knight & S Tamer Cavusgil, 2004. "Innovation, organizational capabilities, and the born-global firm," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 35(4), pages 334-334, July.
    32. Markman, Gideon M. & Venzin, Markus, 2014. "Resilience: Lessons from banks that have braved the economic crisis—And from those that have not," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 1096-1107.
    33. Gary Gereffi, 2020. "What does the COVID-19 pandemic teach us about global value chains? The case of medical supplies," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 3(3), pages 287-301, September.
    34. Puhr, Harald & Müllner, Jakob, 2022. "Foreign to all but fluent in many: The effect of multinationality on shock resilience," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(6).
    35. Frank, Alejandro G. & Mendes, Glauco H.S. & Ayala, Néstor F. & Ghezzi, Antonio, 2019. "Servitization and Industry 4.0 convergence in the digital transformation of product firms: A business model innovation perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 341-351.
    36. Rodríguez-Espíndola, Oscar & Chowdhury, Soumyadeb & Dey, Prasanta Kumar & Albores, Pavel & Emrouznejad, Ali, 2022. "Analysis of the adoption of emergent technologies for risk management in the era of digital manufacturing," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    37. Wu, Qiang & Dbouk, Wassim & Hasan, Iftekhar & Kobeissi, Nada & Zheng, Li, 2021. "Does gender affect innovation? Evidence from female chief technology officers," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(9).
    38. Culot, Giovanna & Orzes, Guido & Sartor, Marco & Nassimbeni, Guido, 2020. "The future of manufacturing: A Delphi-based scenario analysis on Industry 4.0," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    39. Burström, Thommie & Parida, Vinit & Lahti, Tom & Wincent, Joakim, 2021. "AI-enabled business-model innovation and transformation in industrial ecosystems: A framework, model and outline for further research," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 85-95.
    40. Sebastian Firk & André Hanelt & Jana Oehmichen & Michael Wolff, 2021. "Chief Digital Officers: An Analysis of the Presence of a Centralized Digital Transformation Role," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(7), pages 1800-1831, November.
    41. Xiao Zhang & Weiguo Zhong & Shige Makino, 2015. "Customer involvement and service firm internationalization performance: An integrative framework," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 46(3), pages 355-380, April.
    42. Freeman, Christopher & Soete, Luc, 2009. "Developing science, technology and innovation indicators: What we can learn from the past," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 583-589, May.
    43. Patrick Elf & Andrea Werner & Sandy Black, 2022. "Advancing the circular economy through dynamic capabilities and extended customer engagement: Insights from small sustainable fashion enterprises in the UK," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(6), pages 2682-2699, September.
    44. Han, Hui & Trimi, Silvana, 2022. "Towards a data science platform for improving SME collaboration through Industry 4.0 technologies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    45. Michael A. Hitt & R. Duane Ireland & S. Michael Camp & Donald L. Sexton, 2001. "Strategic entrepreneurship: entrepreneurial strategies for wealth creation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(6‐7), pages 479-491, June.
    46. Rob Jago Floetgen & Jana Strauss & Jörg Weking & Andreas Hein & Florian Urmetzer & Markus Böhm & Helmut Krcmar, 2021. "Introducing platform ecosystem resilience: leveraging mobility platforms and their ecosystems for the new normal during COVID-19," European Journal of Information Systems, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(3), pages 304-321, May.
    47. Gongming Qian & Lee Li & Ji Li & Zhengming Qian, 2008. "Regional diversification and firm performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(2), pages 197-214, March.
    48. Grappi, Silvia & Romani, Simona & Bagozzi, Richard P., 2018. "Reshoring from a demand-side perspective: Consumer reshoring sentiment and its market effects," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 194-208.
    49. Martina Linnenluecke & Andrew Griffiths, 2012. "Assessing organizational resilience to climate and weather extremes: complexities and methodological pathways," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 113(3), pages 933-947, August.
    50. Richard R Nelson, 2020. "A perspective on the evolution of evolutionary economics," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 29(5), pages 1101-1118.
    51. Feliciano-Cestero, María M. & Ameen, Nisreen & Kotabe, Masaaki & Paul, Justin & Signoret, Mario, 2023. "Is digital transformation threatened? A systematic literature review of the factors influencing firms’ digital transformation and internationalization," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    52. Alain Verbeke & Régis Coeurderoy & Tanja Matt, 2018. "The future of international business research on corporate globalization that never was…," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(9), pages 1101-1112, December.
    53. Mark G. Edwards, 2021. "The growth paradox, sustainable development, and business strategy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 3079-3094, November.
    54. Parast, Mahour Mellat, 2020. "The impact of R&D investment on mitigating supply chain disruptions: Empirical evidence from U.S. firms," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    55. Diller, Markus & Asen, Martin & Späth, Thomas, 2020. "The effects of personality traits on digital transformation: Evidence from German tax consulting," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chatterjee, Sheshadri & Chaudhuri, Ranjan & Vrontis, Demetris & Dana, Léo-Paul & Kabbara, Diala, 2024. "Developing resilience of MNEs: From global value chain (GVC) capability and performance perspectives," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    2. Jean-François Hennart & Antonio Majocchi & Birgit Hagen, 2021. "What’s so special about born globals, their entrepreneurs or their business model?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(9), pages 1665-1694, December.
    3. Gongming Qian & Lee Li & Zhengming Qian, 2018. "Interactions Among Factors Driving and Inhibiting the Early Internationalization of Small, Young Technology Enterprises," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 251-280, April.
    4. Kalinic, Igor & Brouthers, Keith D., 2022. "Entrepreneurial orientation, export channel selection, and export performance of SMEs," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(1).
    5. Shaheer, Noman & Kim, Kijong & Li, Sali, 2022. "Internationalization of Digital Innovations: A Rapidly Evolving Research Stream," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(4).
    6. Solano Acosta, Alexandra & Herrero Crespo, Ángel & Collado Agudo, Jesús, 2018. "Effect of market orientation, network capability and entrepreneurial orientation on international performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs)," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 1128-1140.
    7. Maksimov, Vladislav & Luo, Yadong, 2021. "International springboard as an entrepreneurial act," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(3).
    8. Crespo, Nuno Fernandes & Crespo, Cátia Fernandes & Silva, Graça Miranda & Nicola, Maura Bedin, 2023. "Innovation in times of crisis: The relevance of digitalization and early internationalization strategies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    9. Hollender, Lina & Zapkau, Florian B. & Schwens, Christian, 2017. "SME foreign market entry mode choice and foreign venture performance: The moderating effect of international experience and product adaptation," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 250-263.
    10. Jan Lampe & Priscilla Sarai Kraft & Andreas Bausch, 2020. "Mapping the Field of Research on Entrepreneurial Organizations (1937–2016): A Bibliometric Analysis and Research Agenda," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(4), pages 784-816, July.
    11. Il Park, Byung & Xiao, Shufeng (Simon), 2021. "Doing good by combating bad in the digital world: Institutional pressures, anti-corruption practices, and competitive implications of MNE foreign subsidiaries," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 194-205.
    12. Choksy, Umair Shafi & Ayaz, Muhammad & Al-Tabbaa, Omar & Parast, Mahour, 2022. "Supplier resilience under the COVID-19 crisis in apparel global value chain (GVC): The role of GVC governance and supplier’s upgrading," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 249-267.
    13. Crespo, Nuno Fernandes & Crespo, Cátia Fernandes & Silva, Graça Miranda, 2024. "Every cloud has a silver lining: The role of business digitalization and early internationalization strategies to overcome cloudy times," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    14. Efrat, Kalanit & Asseraf, Yoel, 2019. "A shift in perspective? The role of emotional branding in shaping born globals’ performance," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(6), pages 1-1.
    15. Johanson, Martin & Martín Martín, Oscar, 2015. "The incremental expansion of Born Internationals: A comparison of new and old Born Internationals," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 476-496.
    16. Maria Vincenza Ciasullo & Andrea Chiarini & Rocco Palumbo, 2024. "Mastering the interplay of organizational resilience and sustainability: Insights from a hybrid literature review," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 1418-1446, February.
    17. Sadeghi, Arash & Aliasghar, Omid & Bouguerra, Abderaouf, 2023. "Unpacking the relationship between post-entry speed of internationalization and export performance of SMEs: A capability-building perspective," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(1).
    18. Lee, Jeoung Yul & Yang, Young Soo & Ghauri, Pervez N. & Park, Byung Il, 2022. "The Impact of Social Media and Digital Platforms Experience on SME International Orientation: The Moderating Role of COVID-19 Pandemic," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(4).
    19. Wenwen An & Charles-Clemens Rüling & Xin Zheng & Jianqi Zhang, 2020. "Configurations of effectuation, causation, and bricolage: implications for firm growth paths," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 54(3), pages 843-864, March.
    20. Man Zhang & Qian Gao & Hyuk-Soo Cho, 2017. "The effect of sub-national institutions and international entrepreneurial capability on international performance of export-focused SMEs: Evidence from China and South Korea," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 85-110, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:171:y:2024:i:c:s014829632300718x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.