Wind of Change: A Systematic Review on Individuals and Groups of Individuals in the Face of Adaptation

Abstract

The literature on organizational adaptation has traditionally privileged structural and aggregate approaches, treating adaptation as a technical response to environmental pressures. However, recent research indicates that individuals and groups play decisive roles in mediating between these pressures and effective organizational responses. This article conducts a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA protocol to understand how these actors influence adaptive processes in organizational contexts. From the analysis of 37 articles published in high-impact journals, three central categories emerged: (i) strategic mechanisms activated by individuals at different hierarchical levels; (ii) interactions between individuals and groups as arenas of adaptive construction; and (iii) the role of personality and leadership style in shaping responses. The results reveal that adaptation is a relational, interpretive, and contingent process, and that its foundations are deeply anchored in cognition, social exchanges, and the symbolic capabilities of organizational actors. The article advances the debate by proposing a conceptual synthesis of the adaptive ambience and by pointing out avenues for future research that integrate adaptation, complexity, and anticipation in strategic contexts.