Kevin Burnard

Bio: Kevin Burnard is an academic researcher from Western Connecticut State University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Resilience (network) & Entrepreneurial leadership. The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 10 publications receiving 1123 citations. Previous affiliations of Kevin Burnard include Loughborough University.

Resilience: the concept, a literature review and future directions

Abstract: In an ever-more interconnected world (social, technological and environmental), no organisation can retain a competitive position and survive disruptions as an independent entity. This article provides a review of resilience literature in its widest context and later its application at an organisational level context. The origins of the concept are reported and consequently, the various fields of research are analysed. The concept is shown to remain essentially constant regardless of its field of enquiry and has much to inform the fields of organisation theory, strategy and operations management. This article identifies a number of areas for advancing resilience research, in particular: the relationship between human and organisational resilience; understanding interfaces between organisational and infrastructural resilience.

Organisational resilience: development of a conceptual framework for organisational responses

Abstract: Over recent years, the concept of resilience has gained increasing support within the academic community. Given the potentially devastating implications of disruptions, understanding the dynamics of successful adaption within organisations yields an important avenue for future research. This theoretical article will focus on addressing the features detection and activation within the response of an organisation to disruptive events. Through this, a conceptual framework of a resilient organisational response is presented. As such, this article will focus on establishing a solid conceptual base for organisational resilience upon which future empirical studies can be based. This article outlines the background literature relating to resilience and presents a working definition for organisational resilience. The conceptual framework supports analytical thinking toward characterising the response of an organisation to disruptive events and aims to support organisational development through outlining the fundam...

Building Organizational Resilience: Four Configurations

Abstract: This paper empirically explores the organizational processes at the onset of disruptions and the factors that determine different configurations of responses. It examines how processes of response, both before and in the aftermath of a disruption, support the building and development of organizational resilience. Using case study data from three U.K. based organizations, this paper makes the following three contributions. First, it identifies the common elements involved in decision making at the onset of a disruption, and explains the iterative stages and processes that led to the development of resilience. It explains the criticality and relationships between the elements of detection, activation, and response. Second, this paper explains why responses vary from one situation to another, by identifying two dimensions that determine the configurations of organizational resilience, namely Preparedness and Adaption. Third, this paper presents the resilience configurations matrix that gives rise to and establishes four distinct types of organizational configurations, which are Process Based, Resourceful, At High Risk, and Resilience Focused. This paper concludes by discussing the implications for theory and practice of resilience.

Entrepreneurial leadership in a developing economy: a skill-based analysis

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine entrepreneurial leadership and to determine the entrepreneurial leadership skills which are important for success in a developing economy environment. Specifically, the focus of this research was on entrepreneurial leadership within the retail pharmacy sector in Nigeria.,This study was guided by an interpretivist-constructionist perspective. By adopting a qualitative approach, the lived experiences of the retail pharmacy entrepreneurs could be understood. In total, 51 semi-structured interviews were the mode of data collection, and data were triangulated via three sources: entrepreneurs, employees, and literature.,From the study results, a vivid picture of entrepreneurial leadership was formed, which in turn provides the basis for an empirical skill-based model of this phenomenon in a developing economy. This study identifies four distinct entrepreneurial leadership skill categories. These include technical/business skills, interpersonal skills, conceptual skills, and entrepreneurial skills. The findings of this study also show the factors and conditions necessary for entrepreneurial leadership in a developing economy.,The findings of this study have implications in theory and practice. Its results provide an empirical, skill-based framework on entrepreneurial leadership in a developing economy, a subject area for which there exists a lack of background literature. In practice, the findings of this study serve as a useful reference for practitioners and policy makers of the skills and other factors required for people to succeed as entrepreneurial leaders.

Challenges for organisational resilience

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to outline the complex challenges organisations must address in order to respond and recover from disruptive events, and highlight the important perspectives within the growing narrative of resilience, from and operations and strategic management perspective.,Using an approach that involves the critique of relevant and latest literature, this paper looks to identify the challenges in developing resilience at an organisational level.,The outcome of this paper establishes a set of propositions to guide the development of organisational-level resilience as well as future research. These propositions highlight the features of both active and passive resilience, and identify key considerations for organisations.,These propositions highlight the features of both active and passive resilience, and identify key considerations for organisations. Through recognising these propositions, organisations may be better placed to address the impacts of disruptive events.

Linkages between vulnerability, resilience, and adaptive capacity

Abstract: Cet article analyse les relations conceptuelles (imprecises) de la vulnerabilite, de la resilience et de la capacite d’adaptation aux changements climatiques selon le systeme socio-ecologique (socio-ecologigal systems – SES) afin de comprendre et anticiper le comportement des composantes sociales et ecologiques du systeme. Une serie de questions est proposee par l’auteur sur la specification de ces termes afin de developper une structure conceptuelle qui inclut les dimensions naturelles et so...

Resilience: the concept, a literature review and future directions

Abstract: In an ever-more interconnected world (social, technological and environmental), no organisation can retain a competitive position and survive disruptions as an independent entity. This article provides a review of resilience literature in its widest context and later its application at an organisational level context. The origins of the concept are reported and consequently, the various fields of research are analysed. The concept is shown to remain essentially constant regardless of its field of enquiry and has much to inform the fields of organisation theory, strategy and operations management. This article identifies a number of areas for advancing resilience research, in particular: the relationship between human and organisational resilience; understanding interfaces between organisational and infrastructural resilience.

Resilience in business and management research: a review of influential publications and a research agenda

Abstract: This paper identifies the development of and gaps in knowledge in business and management research on resilience, based on a systematic review of influential publications among 339 papers, books and book chapters published between 1977 and 2014. Analyzing these records shows that resilience research has developed into five research streams, or lines of enquiry, which view resilience as (1) organizational responses to external threats, (2) organizational reliability, (3) employee strengths, (4) the adaptability of business models or (5) design principles that reduce supply chain vulnerabilities and disruptions. A review of the five streams suggests three key findings: First, resilience has been conceptualized quite differently across studies, meaning that the different research streams have developed their own definitions, theories and understandings of resilience. Second, conceptual similarities and differences among these streams have not yet been explored, nor have insights been gleaned about any possible generalizable principles for developing resilience. Third, resilience has been operationalized quite differently, with few insights into the empirics for detecting resilience to future adversity (or the absence thereof). This paper outlines emerging research trends and pathways for future research, highlighting opportunities to integrate and expand on existing knowledge, as well as avenues for further investigation of resilience in business and management studies.