The Need for Organisational Resilience - Chapter 2

One of the distinguishing features of a Linear Strategy is its dissociation from the wider

environment. In essence, a Linear Strategy is inward-looking, defining a long-term outlook

that ‘shapes’ the wider environment. It is for other competitors to adapt their own

organisational strategies. In contrast, an Adaptive Strategy aims not only to align with an

external environment, but also to be ahead of the adaptive challenges it will pose.

Following a linear or adaptive strategy involves distinctive benefits, as shown in Table

2.2.

Linear Strategy

Adaptive Strategy

Enables greater internal foresight to the

Promotes greater sensitivity to the

organisation

environment

Efficient in providing and maintaining

Effective in adapting to a changing

capabilities and resources

environment

Establishes robustness

Establishes adaptiveness, and robustness

Table 2.2: Advantages of Linear and Adaptive Strategies

A Linear Strategy has the benefit of providing foresight in environments that remain

relatively stable and thus predictable. The organisational resources and capabilities

necessary to accomplish the set long-term goal can be defined early on and procured

efficiently. These resources do not have to be dynamic in nature as changes to the goal are

not envisaged. This makes planning straightforward. Plans are defined by top-management,

broken down into tasks and channelled down the hierarchy of an organisation. Progress

towards goal accomplishment is transparent and easily measured. As changes in the

environment are discouraged or not expected, a Linear Strategy produces robustness in the

sense that the organisational goal’s viability and the means to achieve it are not susceptible

to possible changes in the environment.

Contrary to a Linear Strategy, an Adaptive Strategy is not insulated from the

environment in which it is enacted. It provides greater sensitivity to changes in the

environment, and allows changes to be made after initial planning. Hence, a change in

stakeholders’ expectations, often only visible in the form of trends and patterns in needs and

wants, can be accommodated and satisfied. But such sensitivity and the resulting

adaptability require dynamic resources and capabilities that allow an organisation to

implement an Adaptive Strategy; such as

• the ability of employees to learn quickly and build new strategic assets;

• the integration of these new strategic assets, including capability, technology and

customer feedback, into company processes;

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