Scientific Approaches to the Concept of «Adaptive Management»

Abstract

The article is devoted to the generalization and systematization of scientific approaches to understanding the essence of the concept of “adaptive management” and to identifying their common characteristics. It has been established that the conditions under which modern organizations operate are characterized by high dynamism, uncertainty, and an increasing level of turbulence in the external environment. These factors determine the necessity of revising classical management approaches. Summarizing the views of classical theorists, it is concluded that the common feature of most approaches is the recognition of the need for flexible restructuring of management mechanisms, the organization’s ability to self-analyze, and the adaptation of its strategic course. This indicates that organizations should reactively adjust to shaping their future. A comparative analysis of authors’ definitions of “adaptive management” has been carried out. The common characteristics highlighted include flexibility, resilience, innovativeness, predictability, transformational capacity, and openness to change. Their essence is further revealed. The research results confirm that adaptive management is emerging as an integrative managerial concept that combines systems thinking, strategic flexibility, innovativeness, and the capacity for self-organization. The author’s vision of the concept of “adaptive management” is proposed as dynamically oriented management of organizations of various types, which involves continuous renewal of managerial decisions through the analysis of external and internal changes, the formation of a flexible response strategy, and the integration of feedback to achieve sustainable development. The proposed definition allows adaptive management to be viewed as an effective tool for ensuring organizational viability, especially in times of crises, martial law, and changes in the structure of social demand. The practical significance of the results lies in their potential application for improving enterprise adaptation strategies and developing appropriate management models.