Overcoming Adversities in Innovation Projects with Innovation Resilience Behaviour

Sascha Fey

Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) from Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL)

Abstract: Carrying out innovation projects is no easy task in a world characterized by constant change and uncertainty. Adversities such as saving targets, budget cuts, interpersonal conflicts, absenteeism, or employee turnover can significantly impact project progress. Given these circumstances, the question is not "if" but rather "when" a project will be affected by such problems. The concept of resilience is a promising approach to dealing with difficulties in everyday project management. The goal of Innovation Resilience Behaviour, a specific form of resilience, is to equip projects with the necessary tools to detect deviations from the project plan as early as possible and take all necessary measures to get back on track. The existing literature on resilience has shown increasing interest in the topic during recent years. Emanating from social psychology, the construct has demonstrated relevance in other fields as well, such as organizational research. However, Innovation Resilience Behaviour as a specialized field in project management has not yet been examined in depth or empirically tested on a large scale beyond the seminal articles. As part of this study, the author examined 87 innovation projects of a large German logistics service provider, analyzing the relationship between Innovation Resilience Behaviour and project success, as well as four potential moderators (adversities, dispersion, use of communication media, technological innovativeness) and four possible antecedents (trust, identification, goal clarity, top management support) of Innovation Resilience Behaviour. The results show a clear and positive relationship between Innovation Resilience Behaviour and project success. However, three of the four expected moderators did not exhibit the predicted effects—only adversity had a moderating influence on the relationship between Innovation Resilience Behaviour and project success. Regarding the antecedents, this study demonstrates that Identification, goal clarity, and top management support have a significant positive influence on the development of Innovation Resilience Behaviour. The findings of this study contribute to the existing literature, particularly in the following ways: They expand and provide empirical validation of Innovation Resilience Behaviour beyond the previously published seminal articles. The study is conducted at the team level. Several researchers have previously pointed out that the team level has been largely neglected in studies on (innovation) projects in the corporate sector. Confirming Innovation Resilience Behaviour as an important factor for project success also provides team leaders, project managers, and executives with a useful and practical set of tools that allows them to respond individually and effectively to threats or deviations from the project plan.

Date: 2026-05-27
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