Resource orchestration in a context of organizational decline

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the role of resource orchestration in turnaround attempts following the organizational decline in the context of an emerging economy. Design/methodology/approach Multicase study of three Brazilian textile firms, following their trajectory from 1997 to 2009. We did a “historical reconstruction using the methodology” proposed by Mintzberg and McHugh (1985) to guide our data collection and analysis procedures. The methodology is geared towards the study of the evolution of organizations over a past period, wherein the researcher reconstructs the events after they have occurred, having developed them from documentary analysis and oral history. Findings The results indicate that resource orchestration is a critical capability for ensuring the coordinated implementation of operational and strategic actions in a turnaround. Moreover, in a context involving severe environmental jolts, the conservation of organizational slack appears to influence the effectiveness of resource orchestration and explains the different outcomes the firms in this study achieved in their turnaround attempts. Research limitations/implications This paper may be useful to practitioners involved in turnarounds, helping them evaluate the consequences of decisions involving the acquisition, reconfiguration, bundling and divestment of firm resources. Practical implications Besides contributing to the advancement of theory-informed research on decline and turnaround, this paper may be useful to practitioners involved in turnarounds, when they consider the consequences of decisions involving firm resources. Originality/value This paper helps advance theory-informed research on decline and turnaround in developing economies, helping address a gap in the extant literature, primarily focused on firms in developed countries.