Resources, capabilities, and actions: Exploring the dynamic formation process of organizational resilience in ethnic village homestays under a VUCA environment

This study investigates organizational resilience formation mechanisms in ethnic village homestays through grounded theory analysis of 34 Tibetan village homestays. The research reveals a dynamic cyclical framework comprising three interconnected stages: resource activation (“emergency mobilization-rapid integration-flexible allocation”), capability building (“high sensitivity-rapid responsiveness-strong adaptability”), and action implementation (planned, adaptive, and learning actions). The study identifies unique “compressed cycle” phenomena where decision-execution-feedback cycles accelerate from months to days under crisis conditions. Resilience outcomes manifest across three progressive levels: damage mitigation, survival recovery, and transcending original state. Cultural context significantly shapes resilience pathways through three dialectical relationships: unity of tradition and modernity, unity of individual and collective, and unity of locality and openness. Social network activation follows hierarchical patterns of “kinship support-acquaintance mutual assistance-stranger connections,” reflecting traditional Chinese “differential mode of association.” Key determinants include resource foundation depth, dynamic capability intensity, and resource action precision. This research contributes to organizational resilience theory by integrating resource-based, dynamic capabilities, social network, and organizational learning theories while revealing how cultural embeddedness transforms static cultural assets into dynamic resilience advantages for small tourism enterprises.