Assessing organizational resilience to climate and weather extremes: complexities and methodological pathways

Abstract

This paper offers insights for assessing organizational resilience to the effects of climate change, specifically to climate and weather extremes. The assessment of organizational resilience to climate and weather extremes brings about several challenges due to (1) uncertainties about future climate change outcomes across temporal and spatial scales and (2) a lack of insight into what lead to organizational resilience, or which variables should be measured in a given study. We suggest methodological pathways for organizational managers to identify properties of future climate and weather extremes and to include them in resilience assessments. We also suggest approaches to identify factors that promote organizational resilience to selected climate and weather extremes. Findings are intended to help managers to understand how organizational resilience to climate and weather extremes can be enhanced.

Using an option pricing approach to evaluate strategic decisions in a rapidly changing climate: Black–Scholes and climate change

“…Making wise decisions at the intersection of these two systems, one natural and one human, is at the heart of adaptation to climate change (Linnenluecke and Griffiths 2012;Tallis et al 2008). That intersection space is complex and messy: it includes the coupled worlds of commerce and politics, as well as the physical, chemical, and biological intricacies of the natural world.…”

Tourism and Climate: A Substantive Theory on Adaptation Strategies in the Accommodation Sector in “Águas Paulista” Circuit, São Paulo, Brazil

“…However, few environmental changes present so much uncertainty and potential for disastrous consequences as those associated with climate change and extreme weather events in particular (Linnenluecke and Griffiths [22]). The formulation of adaptation strategies has been the best way to deal with such events [10], [23]- [25]. Nonetheless, so far, much of the adaptation literature has been theoretical reflecting the lack of empirical data on these adaptive efforts as state (Biagini et al [27]).…”

“…According to Linnenluecke and Griffiths [25], organisations have undertaken anticipatory adaptation strategies, which extends their ability to cope with extreme events. However, these adaptation measures are not always implemented quickly enough to ease the business impact.…”

Sensitivity of health sector indicators' response to climate change in Ghana

“…This is because the expansion will allow indicators from non-health sectors to be incorporated into public health management strategies towards resilience building (Linnenluecke and Griffiths, 2012;Pascal et al, 2012). Resilience defines the capacity for self-organization and adaptation to stress and change (Folke, 2006;Leichenko and O'Brien, 2008;Walker et al, 2006).…”

“…Globally, the health-climate change nexus is still evolving in health policy and planning. The nexus is characterized mostly by perception and conjectures rather than empirical evidence (Clarke and Berry, 2012;Linnenluecke and Griffiths, 2012;Uittenbroek et al, 2013). The impacts of climate change on public health are expected to manifest through three pathways: (i) the direct emergency impacts relating primarily to extreme weather conditions, including heat, drought, and storms, (ii) the sub-acute effects mediated through natural systems, and (iii) effects heavily mediated by human systems such as malnutrition (Costello et al, 2009;IPCC, 2014;Jankowska et al, 2012).…”