adaptation

(noun)

Adjustment to extant conditions; modification of a thing or its parts in a way that makes it more fit for existence under the conditions of its current environment.

Related Terms

  • change management

Examples of adaptation in the following topics:

  • Increasing Adaptation

    • In order to succeed, modern organizations must constantly adapt to evolving technologies and expanding global markets.
    • There are a number of examples in which some organizations have adapted to new technologies or global competition, while others have failed to adapt and subsequently gone under.
    • Strategic management largely pertains to adapting an organization to its business environment.
    • Knowing how and being able to increase this adaptability is important to organizational success.
    • Implementing a strategy of adaptation may have effects that ripple across an organization.
  • Inside and Outside Forces for Organizational Change

    • Economics - The 2008 economic collapse is a strong example of why adaptability is important.
    • Technology - Technological changes are a constant threat, and embracing new technologies ahead of the competition requires adaptability.
    • When media went digital, adaptable companies found ways to evolve their operations to stay competitive.
    • Globalization - Capturing new global markets requires product, cultural, and communicative adaptability.
    • Identify the internal and external pressures for change, which drive organizations to adapt and evolve
  • Accelerated Change and Adaptation

    • Drivers of rapid adaptation are numerous, but one of the most relevant to modern organizations is the advent of new technology.
    • Companies that could not react and adapt quickly enough to the disruptive technology were left in the dust.
    • Major changes to an organization will force employees to adapt.
    • Employees may not approve of the change, but they will be required to adapt to it if they want to keep their jobs.
    • Change management helps employees adapt to accelerated organizational change by attempting to eliminate the tension between employees' resistance to and suspicions about change and the organization's new direction.
  • Phases of Organizational Change: Lewin

    • Kurt Lewin's phases of change (unfreezing, change, and freezing) describe how people react and adapt to change.
    • Many people criticize this component of Lewin's model, arguing that there is never time for people to comfortably adapt to change in the fast-paced world of today.
    • This is important for understanding how employees may react to change in the workplace and why some may adapt more quickly to change than others.
  • Considering Cultural and Interpersonal Differences

    • Intercultural competence is an individual's ability to communicate with, and adapt to, the cultural norms and expectations of each employee or customer.
    • Army Research Institute may have come closest to summarizing what it means to be cross-culturally competent: "A set of cognitive, behavioral, and affective/motivational components that enable individuals to effectively adapt in intercultural environments."
    • Self-confidence – Understanding personal weaknesses and difficulties in adapting to situations is important in controlling reactions.
  • Considering the Environment

    • Complexity theory postulates that organizations must adapt to uncertainty in their environments.
    • Therefore, companies in a highly uncertain environment must prioritize adaptability over a more rigid and functional strategy.
    • Understanding these varying forces gives the company an idea of how adaptable or fixed the organizational structure should be to capture value.
  • Cultural Intelligence

    • Cultural intelligence is the ability to display intercultural competence within a given group through adaptability and knowledge.
    • The concept of cultural intelligence is exactly what it sounds like—the ability to display intercultural competence within a given group through adaptability and knowledge.
  • Strategies for Successful Organizational Change

    • Education and training is essential for employees to understand and adapt to a change in the workforce.
    • Training in this situation is necessary to help employees become familiar with the change and better adapt to it.
    • For these employees it may be useful to have a program, most likely through human resources, that will help them adapt to the change.
  • The Impact of Culture on an Organization

    • Culture is a malleable component of an organization that can adapt and evolve through influences to create value.
    • Identify areas in the organizational structure and control systems which require updates to conform with the new or adapted culture.
    • Finally, ensure that the ethical and legal implications of the adapted culture are understood, planned for and in line with corporate ethics.
  • Speed of Innovation

    • Companies compete to adapt their products and services to incorporate new innovations first.
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