Adaptability in Smart Business Networks

A focal characteristic of Smart Business Networks (SBN) is their ability to adapt to the environment. However, the adaptability of business networks has received limited attention. The purpose of this paper is to employ theories of learning from the educational and organizational literature to develop a framework that defines 4 distinct types of adaptation which are a function of organizational awareness and resources employed: 1) automatic responses, 2) assimilation, 3) accommodation, 4) environmental enactment. We demonstrate these modes in case study of Multiasistencia, the focal node in a Smart Business Network. The case highlights the need for SBNs to design process and technology infrastructures that appropriately allocate limited organizational awareness and resources. Implications for the theory and management of SBN adaptability are reviewed.