Adaptability is widely seen as a key capability for innovation. Yet, what it really captures often remains unclear.

Today, we highlight the paper “Adaptability in Innovation Management: A Meta-Analysis”, published in the Journal of Product Innovation Management, by @Felix Hoch, @Tobias Röth, @Alexander Kock, @Julia Backmann and @Alex Newman, edited by @Jelena Spanjol 🌟

Drawing on a meta-analysis covering 549 effect sizes from 268 independent samples, the study shows that adaptability is not a single capability, but consists of four distinct dimensions: flexibility, reactivity, proactivity, and speed.

Importantly, the findings suggest that adaptability is most effective when these dimensions are combined rather than considered in isolation 🔍

The relationship between adaptability and innovation is particularly strong in more demanding contexts, including non-incremental innovation, larger firms, and uncertain environments.

In other words, being “flexible” alone is not enough.
Adaptability unfolds its full potential when multiple capabilities work together 💡

🔗 You can find the paper here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jpim.70041