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A special issue of Systems (ISSN 2079-8954). This special issue belongs to the section "Systems Practice in Social Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2025) | Viewed by 19592

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Tatjana Volkova

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Guest Editor

Department of Management, BA School of Business and Finance, LV-1013 Riga, Latvia
Interests: strategic management; innovation management; design management; higher education management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the context of the unprecedented uncertainty caused by multicrisis, organisations must demonstrate the ability to survive and even thrive under these conditions to deliver sustainable growth. This requires a holistic strategic management approach and sophisticated managerial cognition based on future thinking. The linkages between strategic management and strategic, operational and organisational resilience, dynamic capabilities, ambidexterity, and multidexterity in organisational resilience are limited. More literature on leadership for organisational resilience, organisational resilience culture, business model innovations for delivering and enhancing organisational resilience, identifying factors leading to higher levels of organisational resilience, measurement of resilience outcomes, and resilience metrics to compare organisational resilience between peers is needed. Practitioners seek resilience frameworks, models, tools and methodologies to create organisational resilience based on best practises and empirical research.

This special issue aims to address different research perspectives on organisational resilience, enabling the research community to share their research findings and set up new research directions in the field, thus providing fresh views, methodologies, frameworks and tools to the business community and other stakeholders to deal with uncertainty, ambiguity, volatility and complex challenges experienced.

The researchers are invited to submit conceptual and empirical research articles on organisational resilience, strategic management as an enabler of organisational resilience, organisational resilience measurement and metrics, strategic leadership for organisational resilience, innovations for organisational resilience, organisational resilience dimensions, organisational resilience culture, business models for organisational resilience, resilience capacity and potential, and sustainable development as an organisational resilience driver.

Prof. Dr. Tatjana Volkova
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Systems is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

organisational resilience
strategic resilience
operational resilience
strategic management
organisational resilience culture
organisational resilience measurement
innovations
business models
leadership
uncertainty

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

29 pages, 455 KB

Open AccessArticle

Strategic Orientations and Organizational Resilience: The Moderating Role of Digital Technology

by Xiaoya Feng and Xiaobo Wu

Systems 2026, 14(2), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems14020159 - 2 Feb 2026

Viewed by 441

Abstract

Firms pursuing organizational resilience face competing demands: sustaining growth while reducing performance volatility. This study examines how strategic orientations shape trade-offs between these resilience dimensions and how digital technology breadth and depth moderate these strategy–resilience relationships. Drawing on dynamic capability theory, this study analyzes panel data from Chinese high-tech manufacturing firms to investigate how profit-oriented and growth-oriented strategies affect two dimensions of organizational resilience—growth resilience (continuous growth) and volatility resilience (performance stability). Results reveal two distinct mechanisms: a consolidating mechanism whereby profit-oriented strategy reduces performance volatility while constraining growth resilience, and a capitalizing mechanism whereby growth-oriented strategy strengthens growth resilience while increasing performance volatility. Digital technology breadth moderates both strategies but introduces complexity costs that weaken anticipated volatility reduction benefits. Digital technology depth shows limited moderating capacity, amplifying profit-oriented strategy’s growth constraints without significantly reducing performance volatility. This study contributes to organizational resilience literature by demonstrating that organizational resilience dimensions involve systematic trade-offs rather than complementary gains, and extends dynamic capability theory by identifying strategic orientation as a driver that shapes how firms configure and deploy dynamic capabilities toward different organizational resilience outcomes. For managers, these findings suggest aligning strategic orientation with organizational priorities for stability versus growth, recognizing that enhancing one resilience dimension may constrain another, and ensuring digital technology investments match strategic priorities, as broad adoption introduces complexity costs that may offset anticipated benefits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Management Towards Organisational Resilience)

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35 pages, 6908 KB

Open AccessArticle

Integrating Complexity and Risk Analysis for Selection of Management Approaches in Complex Projects: Application to UN Peacekeeping Missions

by Juan-Manuel Álvarez-Espada, Teresa Aguilar-Planet and Estela Peralta

Systems 2026, 14(1), 100; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems14010100 - 16 Jan 2026

Viewed by 277

Abstract

The growing complexity and dynamism of industrial and organizational projects require management approaches that can effectively adapt to uncertainty and rapidly changing operational environments. In this context, this study proposes a methodology to identify the most suitable management approach—predictive, agile, or hybrid—in complex projects. Building on the “Approach suitability tool” of the Project Management Institute’s (PMI), the methodology integrates quantitative assessments of complexity and systemic risk. This is achieved through the analysis of stakeholder and risk networks, using metrics such as cyclomatic complexity and the coevolution parameter g, which allow for a deeper understanding of interactions and the evolution of project elements. The methodology was validated in three peacekeeping missions of the United Nations: UNMISS in South Sudan, MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and MINUSTAH in Haiti. The results confirm that the methodology accurately identifies the most appropriate management approach, emphasizing the effectiveness of hybrid approaches in complex and volatile environments. The proposed methodology serves as a valuable tool for optimizing project management in diverse contexts, enabling a quantitative and systematic evaluation of complexity and risk. It is adaptable and applicable to a wide range of complex projects, improving decision-making and planning in uncertain settings. Furthermore, by incorporating resilience as a cross-cutting principle, the methodology strengthens the ability of projects and their teams to maintain functionality and sustain learning even in highly volatile environments, where continuous adaptation becomes a critical success factor. In this sense, resilience emerges as the property that allows projects to absorb disruptions, reorganize, and preserve their core purpose without losing cohesion or direction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Management Towards Organisational Resilience)

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28 pages, 1015 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Systems Perspective on Sustainable Leadership and Innovation Capability: Building Organizational Resilience in a High-Tech Company

by Nenad Vladić, Damjan Maletič and Matjaž Maletič

Systems 2025, 13(12), 1075; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13121075 - 28 Nov 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1051

Abstract

While previous studies have examined sustainable leadership and innovation separately, limited attention has focused on their systemic interconnection. Building on established frameworks, this study adopts a systems perspective to explain how sustainability-oriented leadership mechanisms shape innovation capability across strategic, organizational, and functional levels. Drawing on a single-case study of an information-rich high-tech company, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and internal documentation to examine leadership practices and organizational enablers that foster innovation. The findings show that sustainable leadership strengthens innovation capability by embedding sustainability values into organizational routines, aligning strategic intent with daily learning, and empowering employees to experiment, collaborate, and share knowledge continuously. These feedback-driven processes connect strategic intent with operational learning, enabling organizations to adapt and renew. The study introduces the Systems Framework for Sustainable Innovation Capability (SFSIC), which explains how leadership, culture, and learning interact as interdependent components of innovation capability and organizational resilience. By framing innovation capability as a dynamic, feedback-driven process rather than a fixed set of determinants, the study advances theory by specifying how sustainability-oriented leadership strengthens adaptive capacity within innovation ecosystems. The study offers guidance for building innovation capability and resilience through aligned leadership practices, enabling structures, and feedback-based learning systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Management Towards Organisational Resilience)

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30 pages, 3613 KB

Open AccessArticle

Redefining Organizational Resilience and Success: A Natural Language Analysis of Strategic Domains, Semantics, and AI Opportunities

by Olga Bucovețchi, Andreea Elena Voipan, Daniel Voipan and Radu D. Stanciu

Systems 2025, 13(11), 999; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13110999 - 7 Nov 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1981

Abstract

Organizational resilience and long-term success have become essential capabilities in turbulent and uncertain environments. This study redefines these concepts by applying a natural language analysis to a corpus of 1597 peer-reviewed publications retrieved from Web of Science and Scopus. The methodology adopts a three-level framework: first, a thematic clustering of literature into strategic domains; second, a semantic comparison of classical and emerging terms; and third, the mapping of artificial intelligence (AI) opportunities. The results identify five overarching domains: Health and Wellbeing; Organizations, HR and Leadership; Strategy, Innovation, and Culture; Education, Knowledge and Communities; and Society, Environment and Development. These domains illustrate how resilience and success are addressed at micro, meso, and macro levels. Semantically, the discourse expands from traditional notions such as robustness, risk management, and performance towards more human-centered, systemic, and digitally enabled perspectives. The study further highlights how AI functions both as a methodological tool and as a strategic enabler, with applications ranging from predictive health analytics and leadership support systems to foresight tools and sustainability monitoring. The findings contribute to organizational resilience theory and offer practitioners actionable pathways to strengthen resilience and competitiveness in the face of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Management Towards Organisational Resilience)

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26 pages, 1371 KB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Connection Between Individual Resilience and Organisational Resilience

by M. Mitansha and Regan Potangaroa

Systems 2025, 13(10), 907; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13100907 - 15 Oct 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2832

Abstract

Resilience has become a central theme in organisational research, particularly in sectors such as construction that face frequent disruption, complexity, and uncertainty. Although individual resilience (IR) and organisational resilience (OR) have been widely explored, their relationship remains conceptually fragmented and often assumed to be either linear or inherently aligned. This study, thus, examines how the IR–OR relationship has been conceptualised in the literature, explores the nature of their interdependence, and identifies future research opportunities. A reflexive thematic analysis of peer-reviewed literature was conducted using Braun and Clarke’s framework, supported by NVivo 14 for data organisation and pattern identification. The analysis revealed gaps in how resilience is theorised and highlighted the absence of cohesive frameworks linking individual and organisational domains. In response, the study introduces three conceptual models: the stacked model, which treats IR and OR as hierarchical; the nested model, which reflects partial overlap; and the modified integrated model, indicating combined action of various factors. While this study draws on literature across all industries, the New Zealand construction sector is referenced as an illustrative example of a highly vulnerable sector where future empirical testing of the proposed models would be valuable. This research contributes to theory by reframing resilience as a relational construct shaped by numerous conditions. It also provides a foundation for future empirical studies and practical frameworks that embed resilience more holistically into organisational design, leadership development, and workforce strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Management Towards Organisational Resilience)

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20 pages, 696 KB

Open AccessArticle

TMT Diversity and the Financial Performance of Listed Chinese Companies: Three-Way Interaction Analysis of Innovativeness and Government R&D Subsidies

by Yu Jin Chang, Tin Myat Noe Wai and Jae Wook Yoo

Systems 2025, 13(10), 842; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13100842 - 25 Sep 2025

Viewed by 1064

Abstract

This study investigates how the functional diversity of top management teams (TMTs) affects the financial performance of A-share Chinese companies. To this end, we examine the interaction effects of TMT diversity with organizational innovativeness and government institutional support. Grounded in upper echelons theory, absorptive capacity theory, and institutional theory, this study uses hierarchical multiple regression to analyze data from 396 firms listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges between 2022 and 2023. The results indicate that TMT functional diversity has a statistically significant positive effect on corporate financial performance, with organizational innovativeness positively moderating this relationship. This moderating effect is further strengthened by high government subsidies for research and development, confirming a three-way interaction effect among these three variables. The findings suggest that TMT diversity improves financial outcomes when firms have both robust internal innovation and external institutional support. By confirming the strategic significance of TMT composition in China and elucidating the effect of government subsidies, this study contributes both practically and theoretically to the strategic management literature on emerging markets. The findings clarify the implications of the contingent conditions under which TMT diversity translates into superior organizational performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Management Towards Organisational Resilience)

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23 pages, 493 KB

Open AccessArticle

Reframing Technostress for Organizational Resilience: The Mediating Role of Techno-Eustress in the Performance of Accounting and Financial Reporting Professionals

by Sibel Fettahoglu and Ibrahim Yikilmaz

Systems 2025, 13(7), 550; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13070550 - 7 Jul 2025

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3417

Abstract

This study examines how employees perceive technology-based demands during the digital transformation process and how these perceptions affect job performance. The research utilized data obtained from 388 experts in the accounting and financial reporting profession, a knowledge-intensive field that heavily employs new technologies (e.g., ERP systems, digital audit tools). The data collected through a convenience sampling method was analyzed using SPSS 27 and SmartPLS 4 software. The findings reveal that the direct effect of technostress on job performance is not significant; however, this stress indirectly contributes to performance through techno-eustress. In this study, techno-eustress refers to the cognitive appraisal of technology-related demands as development-enhancing challenges rather than threats. This concept is theoretically grounded in the broader eustress framework, which views stressors as potentially motivating and growth-promoting when positively interpreted. The model is based on Cognitive Evaluation Theory, the Job Demands–Resources Model, and Self-Determination Theory. This study demonstrates that digital transformation can promote not only operational improvements but also organizational resilience by enhancing employees’ psychological resources and adaptive capacities. By highlighting the mediating role of techno-eustress, this research offers a nuanced perspective on how human-centered cognitive mechanisms can strategically support performance and sustainability in the face of technological disruption—an increasingly relevant area for organizations striving to thrive amid uncertainty. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Management Towards Organisational Resilience)

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22 pages, 521 KB

Open AccessArticle

Synergistic Rewards for Proactive Behaviors: A Study on the Differentiated Incentive Mechanism for a New Generation of Knowledge Employees Using Mixed fsQCA and NCA Analysis

by Jie Zhou, Junqing Yang and Bonoua Faye

Systems 2025, 13(7), 500; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13070500 - 23 Jun 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2073

Abstract

In practice, the new generation of knowledge-based employees often exhibits a “lying flat” attitude. This reflects the failure of organizational incentive mechanisms. In order to improve the incentive system and encourage employees to be proactive, the study explores and compares the synergistic effects of different rewards tools on various forms of proactive behavior in the new generation of knowledge employees. After conducting fsQCA and NCA analyses on paired data from 93 leaders and 210 employees based on the ERG theory, the findings indicate that no single reward tool is a necessary condition for triggering high proactive behavior. Instead, different reward tools need to work in synergy to produce effective motivation. Three patterns drive employees to exhibit high individual task proactivity. They are the “Dual-Drive Salary Security and Moderate Labor Dominant” pattern, the “Moderate Labor Dominant” pattern, and the “Salary Security Dominant” pattern. Two patterns drive employees to demonstrate high team member proactivity, namely the “Employee Care Dominant High-Investment” pattern and the “Pay Fairness Dominant High-Investment” pattern. Additionally, good work experience (i.e., colleague relationships) in the workplace has a significant impact on both types of proactive behavior. The research conclusions will provide insights and references for enterprise managers to design more targeted compensation incentive policies and unleash the vitality of the new generation of knowledgeable employees. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Management Towards Organisational Resilience)

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16 pages, 895 KB

Open AccessArticle

Relationships Between Generational Handover Protocols, Knowledge Transfer Behavior, and Key Organizational Outcomes

by Elene Igoa-Iraola, Fernando Díez and José Miguel Román

Systems 2025, 13(7), 497; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13070497 - 20 Jun 2025

Viewed by 1978

Abstract

(1) Background: This paper examines the relationships between generational handover protocols, knowledge transfer behavior, and key organizational outcomes. (2) Methods: A quantitative design was applied, using non-parametric tests and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) on survey data from 168 employees in companies located in the Basque Country. (3) Results: The presence of formal knowledge transfer protocols and generational handover processes was significantly associated with greater employee knowledge-tranfer behaviors. These behaviors, in turn, had significant positive effects on organizational innovation and job performance. Although moderate correlations were observed with strategy, performance, and competitive advantage, the structural model did not confirm direct relationships. (4) Conclusions: Despite their strategic importance, many organizations still lack formalized mechanisms for knowledge preservation. This study offers a framework for understanding the impact of structured knowledge transfer practices on organizational performance and suggests avenues for future research in knowledge continuity and succession planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Management Towards Organisational Resilience)

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20 pages, 819 KB

Open AccessArticle

Building a Resilient Organization Through Informal Networks: Examining the Role of Individual, Structural, and Attitudinal Factors in Advice-Seeking Tie Formation

by Xiaoyan Jin, Daegyu Yang, Wanlan Sun and Lian Xu

Systems 2025, 13(4), 245; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13040245 - 1 Apr 2025

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2716

Abstract

Modern organizations operate not only through formal structures but also through informal networks, which play a critical role in fostering a resilient organization. This study focused on informal advice networks within organizations as a key mechanism for strengthening contextual resilience, one of the core components of organizational resilience. By analyzing the activation of informal advice networks, this study conceptualized advice-seeking networks as a critical informal system that enhances contextual resilience and examined the individual, structural, and attitudinal factors influencing their formation. Specifically, we hypothesized that employees with higher levels of Machiavellianism are more likely to engage in advice-seeking behaviors, whereas the relationship between Machiavellianism and advice-seeking behaviors is moderated by betweenness centrality and organizational commitment, such that the positive effect of Machiavellianism on advice-seeking is weaker when betweenness centrality or organizational commitment is high. To empirically test these hypotheses, we conducted a network survey of employees at the headquarters of a life insurance company in Seoul, South Korea, and analyzed the data using an Exponential Random Graph Model (ERGM). The findings provide empirical support for all hypotheses. Based on these results, we discussed the theoretical contributions and practical implications of the study, along with its limitations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Management Towards Organisational Resilience)

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