Can strategic resilience coexist with lean approaches? A case study of the aviation industry

Abstract

Strategic resilience involves organizational transformation through innovation and a long-term vision, which implies a response to uncertainty and distress. However, organizations continue to adopt managerial methods that assume waste reduction and stable conditions. Those methods seem unrealistic and ineffective because disruptions are frequent and additional resources are often required. Here, we propose a perspective of strategic resilience based on buffer capacity building and cooperation, perhaps contrary to traditional methodologies. We consider lean management the conventional approach and use the aviation industry to illustrate emerging alternatives in practice