Adaptability in Innovation Management: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Academic Summary: As firms navigate dynamic technological, market, and institutional environments, adaptability—and related notions such as flexibility and agility—have become central to innovation management. Yet, the literature is conceptually fragmented: multiple labels are applied with overlapping but inconsistent content, and few studies assess whether differing conceptualizations yield distinct predictions for innovation outcomes. Drawing on a dynamic capability lens, we synthesize prior research and define adaptability as an organizational capability grounded in the flexibility of abilities, resources, and processes that can, but need not, be paired with reactivity, proactivity, and/o..