The Microfoundations of Managing Adaptive Tension as Dynamic Capability in Innovation Management

This research explores the microlevel components associated with managing adaptive tension within dynamic innovation capabilities, focusing on tension as a distinctive characteristic of dynamic capability. Adaptive tension stems from the necessity of achieving balance within an organization and its equilibrium during periods of significant change. The present research used a systematic literature approach, drawing on 109 articles to identify 10 categories of innovation-related tension, which contained 44 different types of tension. The present research indicates that adaptive tension is most effectively managed within a microlevel action framework of individuals and their actions, inter-team relations, collaborative workflows, and flexible or adaptive organizational designs. This research underscores the need for a three-tiered integration strategy to manage adaptive tension in individuals, interactions, processes, and organizational frameworks. The incorporation of microcomponents within dynamic capabilities broadens the argument and presents a model of innovation management that is responsive and enduring, which is important to the organization’s configuration. This research demonstrates how strategically leveraging adaptive tension amplifies enduring innovation and advances organizational change through distinct theoretical and practical lenses.