Young Ideas to Improve Organizational Resilience in Turbulent and Changing Environments

Abstract

To survive and remain competitive in a constantly changing environment, companies need to develop adaptive capabilities, that is, to become more resilient. Some authors argue that including young employees in the company's decision-making process contributes to enhance their organizational resilience. The present study aims to further investigate this assumption through a case study approach. To this end, 18 Generation Z Business Administration students form several European countries were familiarized with the processes of a luxury goods company and requested to propose solutions to five real challenges that affect the segment. In the presented solutions, they showed potential to enhance each of the dimensions of resilience according to the main conceptualizations of the subject. The findings suggest that companies should invest in attracting, training, and empowering young talents to make decisions in order to enhance their resilience capacity. Future studies should further investigate the topic through explanatory approaches in order to reach a more reliable understanding.