Leadership methods enhancing adaptive capacity in business organisations

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3846/btp.2026.23787

Abstract

The article examines leadership methods that influence adaptive capacity – one of the most important components of organisational resilience in business organisations. The aim of the study is to determine which leadership methods most effectively strengthen adaptive capacity and what conditions determine their effective application. The study used a mixed method approach including semi-structured interviews with 30 managers from 9 companies across 8 European countries, and a quantitative survey involving 3,370 employees. 18 leadership methods that strengthen adaptive capacity through the interactions of its three key elements were identified. The study supplemented theoretical provisions on the relationship between leadership and resilience, offering a structured approach to the application of leadership practices. From a practical point of view, the identified combinations of methods help to strengthen weak areas of adaptive capacity and improve the organisation’s ability to adapt to change. The novelty of the article is new theoretical models that reveal the links between effective leadership and long-term organisational resilience.

Keywords:

leadership styles, adaptive capacity, organisational resilience, uncertainty, leadership, transformational leadership, employee engagement, change management, strategic flexibility, organisational development
Published in Issue
November 11, 2026
Abstract Views
0

How to Cite

Ramašauskienė, V., Šimanskienė, L., Župerkienė, E., Davidavičienė, V., & Bolatova, B. (2026). Leadership methods enhancing adaptive capacity in business organisations. Business: Theory and Practice, 27(2), 310–322. https://doi.org/10.3846/btp.2026.23787

Share

References

Amini, S., Rahati, M., Atash-Parvar, S., Panahi, M., & Shahpari, M. (2025). Implicit leadership theories and traits: A qualitative study of managers in a medical sciences university. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 17, 549–563. https://doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S544837

Anderson, M. H., & Sun, P. Y. T. (2017). Reviewing leadership styles: Overlaps and the need for a new “full-range” theory. International Journal of Management Reviews, 19(1), 76–96. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12082

Aparisi-Torrijo, S., Ribes-Giner, G., & Chaves-Vargas, J.-C. (2023). How leadership factors impact different entrepreneurship phases: An analysis with PLS-SEM. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 24(1), 136–154. https://doi.org/10.3846/jbem.2023.18599

Athota, V. S., Budhwar, P., & Malik, A. (2019). Influence of personality traits and moral values on employee well-being, resilience and performance: A cross-national study. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 69(3), 653–685. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12198

Banks, G. C., Fischer, T., Gooty, J., & Stock, G. (2021). Ethical leadership: Mapping the terrain for concept cleanup and a future research agenda. The Leadership Quarterly, 32(2), Article 101471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2020.101471

Barasa, E., Mbau, R., & Gilson, L. (2018). What is resilience and how can it be nurtured? A systematic review of empirical literature on organizational resilience. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 7(6), 491–503. https://doi.org/10.15171/ijhpm.2018.06

Barton, M. A., & Kahn, W. A. (2019). Group resilience: The place and meaning of relational pauses. Organization Studies, 40(9), 1409–1429. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840618782294

Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership: Good, better, best. Organizational Dynamics, 13(3), 26–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/0090-2616(85)90028-2

Beck, T. E., Solansky, S. T., Davis, D. J., & Ford-Eickhoff, K. (2024). Temporal adaptive capacity: A competency for leading organizations in temporary interorganizational collaborations. Group & Organization Management, 49(1), 114–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011221110080

Bjekic, R., Rodic, M., Aleksic, M., & Gašic, D. (2021). Relationship between social competencies of manager and leadership outcome. Ekonomika, 67(2), 47–57. https://doi.org/10.5937/ekonomika2102047B

Boyatzis, R. E. (1982). The competent manager: A model for effective performance. John Wiley & Sons.

Boylan, S. A., & Turner, A. T. (2017). Developing organizational adaptability for complex environment. Journal of Leadership Education, 16(2), 183–198. https://doi.org/10.12806/V16/I2/T2

Bondarenko, V., Diugowanets, O., & Kurei, O. (2021). Transformation of managerial competencies within the context of global challenges. SHS Web of Conferences, 90(57), Article 02002. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20219002002

Brykman, K. M., & King, D. D. (2021). A resource model of team resilience capacity and learning. Group & Organization Management, 46(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011211018008

Chang, Y., Davidavičienė, V., Bronner, A., & Raj, Y. S. (2025). Overqualified yet motivated: Work motivation, technology uncertainty and overqualified employees’ innovative behavior. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 72, 952–965. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2025.3546164

Chang, P., Rui, H., & Wu, T. (2021). Job autonomy and career commitment: A moderated mediation model of job crafting and sense of calling. SAGE Open, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211004167

Chen, Y., & Zhang, Y. (2021). Fostering resilience in new venture teams: The role of behavioral and affective integration. Group & Organization Management, 46(4), 773–816. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011211033164

Church, A. H., & Waclawski, J. (2017). Designing and using organizational surveys. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315258119

Ciulla, J. B. (2020). Leadership and the problem of bogus empowerment. In The search for ethics in leadership, business, and beyond (pp. 177–195). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38463-0_12

Day, D. V., Fleenor, J. W., Atwater, L. E., Sturm, R. E., McKee, R. A. (2014). Advances in leader and leadership development: A review of 25 years of research and theory. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(1), 63–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.11.004

Day, D. V., Riggio, R. E., Tan, S. J., & Conger, J. A. (2021). Advancing the science of 21st-century leadership development: Theory, research, and practice. The Leadership Quarterly, 32(5), Article 101557. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2021.101557

Davidavičienė, V., & Al Majzoub, Kh. (2022). The effect of cultural intelligence, conflict, and transformational leadership on decision-making processes in virtual teams. Social Sciences, 11(2), Article 64. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11020064

Davidavičienė, V., Al Majzoub, Kh., & Meidutė-Kavaliauskienė, I. (2020). Factors affecting knowledge sharing in virtual teams. Sustainability, 12(17), Article 6917. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176917

Denning, S. (2018). The age of agile: How smart companies are transforming the way work gets done. AMACOM.

Diepolder, C.D, Weitzel, H., & Huwer, J. (2021). Competence framewrok of sustainable entrepreneurship: A systematic review. Sustainability, 13(24), Article 13734. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413734

Dinh, J. E., Lord, R. G., Gardner, W. L., Meuser, J. D., Liden, R. C., & Hu, J. (2014). Leadership theory and research in the new millennium: Current theoretical trends and changing perspectives. The Leadership Quarterly, 25(1), 36–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.11.005

Dionísio, A. L., Dionísio, A., Sousa, M. J., & Moreira, A. (2022). Complex tasks, delegation, and flexibility: What role for engagement and shared leadership? Social Sciences, 11(12), Article 565. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11120565

Driskell, T., Salas, E., & Driskell, J. E. (2017). Teams in extreme environments: Alterations in team development and teamwork. Human Resource Management Review, 28(4), 434–449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2017.01.002

Duchek, S. (2020). Organizational resilience: A capability-based conceptualization. Business Research, 13, 215–246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40685-019-0085-7

Gigliotti, R. A. (2019). Competencies for effective leadership: A framework for assessment, education, and research. Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78973-255-920191006

Gravina, N., Nastasi, J., & Austin, J. (2021). Assessment of employee performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 41(2), 124–149. https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2020.1869136

Groves, K. S., & Feyerherm, A. E. (2022). Developing a leadership potential model for the new era of work and organizations. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 43(6), 978–998. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-06-2021-0258

Gucciardi, D. F., Crane, M., Ntoumanis, N., Parker, S. K., Høgersen-Ntoumani, C., Ducker, K. J., & Peeling, P. (2018). The emergence of team resilience: A multilevel conceptual model of facilitating factors. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 91(4), 729–768. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12237

Heifetz, R. A. (1994). Leadership without easy answers. Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674038479

Hillmann, J., & Guenther, E. (2021). Organizational resilience: A valuable construct for management research? International Journal of Management Reviews, 23(1), 7–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12239

Javed, B., Fatima, T., Khan, A. K., & Bashir, S. (2021). Impact of inclusive leadership on innovative work behavior: The role of creative self-efficacy. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 55(3), 769–782. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.487

Juniariani, N. M. R., & Agustia, D. (2024). Network ties, entrepreneurial creativity and competitive advantage: the moderating role of knowledge integration capability. Business: Theory and Practice, 25(2), 377–386. https://doi.org/10.3846/btp.2024.18947

Kaiser, R. B., LeBreton, J. M., & Hogan, J. (2019). The dark side of personality and extreme leader behavior. Applied Psychology, 64(1), 55–92. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12024

Kunz, J., & Sonnenholzner, L. (2023). Managerial overconfidence: Promoter of or obstacle to organizational resilience? Review of Managerial Science, 17, 67–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-022-00530-y

Lacerenza, C. N., Marlow, S. L., Tannenbaum, C. I., & Salas, E. (2018). Team development interventions: Evidence-based approaches for improving teamwork. American Psychologist, 73(4), 517–531. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000295

Larson, L. E., Harris-Watson, A. M., Carter, D. R., Asencio, R., DeChurch, L. A., Kanfer, R., & Zaccaro, S. J. (2023). Staying apart to work better together: Team structure in cross-functional teams. Academy of Management Discoveries, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.5465/amd.2020.0238

Lee, A., Willis, S., & Tian, A. W. (2018). Empowering leadership: A meta-analytic examination of incremental contribution, mediation, and moderation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(3), 306–325. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2220

Lu, Y., Zhang, M. M., Yang, M. M., & Wang, Y. (2023). Sustainable human resource management practices, employee resilience, and employee outcomes: Toward common good values. Human Resource Management, 62(3), 331–353. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.22153

Lv, W. D., Tian, D., Wei, Y., & Xi, R. X. (2018). Innovation resilience: A new approach for the managing uncertainties concerned with sustainable innovation. Sustainability, 10(10), Article 3641. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103641

Malik, P., & Garg, P. (2017). Learning organization and work engagement: The mediating role of employee resilience. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 31(8), 1071–1094. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1396549

Marques, T., & Gomes, J. F. (2019). Responsible leadership and/versus responsible management. In Research handbook of responsible management. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788971966.00017

McCarthy, I. P., Collard, M., & Johnson, M. (2017). Adaptive organizational resilience: An evolutionary perspective. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 28, 33–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2017.07.005

Meher, J. R., Nayak, L., Mishra, R. K., & Patel, G. (2024). Impact of organizational learning culture on organizational effectiveness: A serial mediation analysis with knowledge sharing and employee competencies. Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, 54(2), 324–338. https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-10-2021-0230

Mukhuty, S., Upadhyay, A., & Rothwell, H. (2022). Strategic sustainable development of Industry 4.0 through the lens of social responsibility: The role of human resource practices. Business Strategy and the Environment, 31(5), 2068–2081. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3008

Naderpajouh, N., Matinheikki, J., Keeys, L. A., Aldrich, D. P., & Linkov, I. (2020). Resilience and projects: An interdisciplinary crossroad. Project Leadership and Society, 1, Article 100001. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plas.2020.100001

Napier, E., Liu, S. Y., & Liu, J. (2024). Adaptive strength: Unveiling a multilevel dynamic process model for organizational resilience. Journal of Business Research, 171, Article 114334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114334

Osagie, E. R., Wesselink, R., & Mulder, R. M. (2018). Unraveling the competence development of corporate social responsibility leaders: The importance of peer learning, learning goal orientation, and learning climate. Journal of Business Ethics, 151, 891–906. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3638-8

Panda, A., Sinha, S., & Jain, N. K. (2022). Job meaningfulness, employee engagement, supervisory support and job performance: A moderated-mediation analysis. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 71(6), 2316–2336. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-08-2020-0434

Posner, B., & Han, J. (2023). How values and value clarity still matter: An extended study of global managers. Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.22543/1948-0733.1489

Purc, E., Laguna, M., & Moriano, J. A. (2023). Entrepreneurs’ personal values and the innovative behavior of their employees: A cross-level mechanism. Creativity Research Journal, 37(3), 377–394. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2023.2285122

Radstaak, M., & Hennes, A. (2017). Leader-member exchange fosters work engagement: The mediating role of job crafting. Journal of Industrial Psychology, 43(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/sajip.v43i0.1458

Raelin, J. A. (2016). Imagine there are no leaders: Reframing leadership as collaborative agency. Leadership, 12(2), 131–158. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715014558076

Raetze, S., Duchek, S., Maynard, T., Kirkman, B. L. (2021). Resilience in organizations: An integrative multilevel review and editorial introduction. Group & Organization Management, 46(4), 607–656. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011211032129

Ramašauskienė, V. (2020). Etikos kodekso taikymo problemų organizacijose nustatymas. Regional Formation and Development Studies, 30(1), 73–86. https://doi.org/10.15181/rfds.v30i1.2036

Riaz, S. (2024). A qualitative study on leadership and corporate social responsibility in an emerging economy. Management Science Letters, 14(3), 169–180. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.msl.2024.1.001

Sanchis, R., & Poler, R. (2013). Definition of a framework to support strategic decisions to improve enterprise resilience. IFAC Proceedings Volumes, 46(9), 700–705. https://doi.org/10.3182/20130619-3-RU-3018.00600

Schmitt, J., & Pauknerova, D. (2025). Building adaptive leaders: Rethinking leadership development in the age of uncertainty. European Journal of Training and Development, 50(3-4): 293–312. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-05-2025-0083

Schweiger, S., Müller, B., & Güttel, W. H. (2020). Barriers to leadership development: Why is it so difficult to abandon the hero? Leadership, 16(4), 411–433. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715020935742

Shin, Y., Hur, W., & Choi, W. (2020). Coworker support as a double-edged sword: A moderated mediation model of job crafting, work engagement, and job performance. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 31(11), 1417–1438. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1407352

Sincorá, L. A., Oliveira, M. P. V., Zanquetto-Filho, H., & Alvarenga, M. Z. (2023). Developing organizational resilience from business process management maturity. Innovation & Management Review, 20(2), 147–161. https://doi.org/10.1108/INMR-11-2021-0219

Stewart, V. R., Snyder, D. G., & Kou, C. (2023). We hold ourselves accountable: A relational view of team accountability. Journal of Business Ethics, 183, 691–712. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04969-z

Stoian, M., Tardios, J. A., & Samdanis, M. (2024). The knowledge-based view in international business: A systematic review of the literature and future research directions. International Business Review, 33(2), Article 102239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2023.102239

Sturm, R. E., Vera, D., & Crossan, M. (2017). The entanglement of leader character and leader competence and its impact on performance. The Leadership Quarterly, 28(3), 349–366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2016.11.007

Suleman, A.-R., Bingab, B. B., Boakye, K. O., & Sam-Mensah, R. (2022). Job rotation practices and employees performance: Do job satisfaction and organizational commitment matter? Business Review, 2(1), 13–27. https://doi.org/10.33215/sbr.v2i1.730

Szemzö, H., Mosquera, J., Polyák, L., & Hayes, L. (2022). Flexibility and adaptation: Creating a strategy for resilience. Sustainability, 14(5), Article 2688. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052688

Šilingienė, V., & Stukaitė, D. (2021). Lyderystės kompetencijos raiška Lietuvos organizacijose. Kauno technologijos universitetas. https://doi.org/10.5755/e01.9786090217207

Tekleab, A. G., Reagan, P. M., Do, B, Levi, A., & Lichtman, C. (2021). Translating corporate social responsibility into action: A social learning perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 171, 741–756. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04447-y

Tvedt, I. M., Tommelein, I. D., Klakegg, O. J., & Wong, J.-M. (2023). Organizational values in support of leadership styles fostering organizational resilience: A process perspective. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 16(2), 258–278. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-05-2022-0121

Uhl-Bien, M., & Arena, M. (2018). Leadership for organizational adaptability: A theoretical synthesis and integrative framework. The Leadership Quarterly, 29(1), 89–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2017.12.009

Uhl-Bien, M., Marion, R., & McKelvey, B. (2011). Complexity leadership theory: Shifting leadership from the industrial age to the knowledge era. In P. Werhane & M. Painter-Morland (Eds.), Leadership, gender, and organization. Issues in business ethics (Vol. 27, pp. 109–138). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9014-0_8

Van der Kolk, B., Van Veen-Dirks, P. M. G., & Ter Bogt, H. J. (2019). The impact of management control on employee motivation and performance in the public sector. European Accounting Review, 28(5), 901–928. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638180.2018.1553728

Yang, D., & Yang, N. (2024). Unveiling the path to employee performance excellence: Visionary leadership behavior, vision commitment and organization resource support. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 45(7), 1142–1157. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-05-2023-0247

View article in other formats

CrossMark check

CrossMark logo

Published

2026-11-11

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Ramašauskienė, V., Šimanskienė, L., Župerkienė, E., Davidavičienė, V., & Bolatova, B. (2026). Leadership methods enhancing adaptive capacity in business organisations. Business: Theory and Practice, 27(2), 310–322. https://doi.org/10.3846/btp.2026.23787

Share