A Multilevel Model of Organizational Adaptation to Climate Change

Abstract

Climate change is a much neglected and urgent matter for society. Over and above the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), society and organizations need to adapt to the impacts of climate change. This article presents a systematic review of climate adaptation literature and the analysis of the factors that influence the strategic decisions of organizations. The findings are organized in a multilevel model in which the factors are examined as to their individual, organizational and institutional contextual level. The model identifies risk perception, stakeholder pressure and partnerships, as well as public adaptation and organizational capabilities as being key contingent factors in the climate adaptation of organizations. Public policies and social demographic aspects, values and beliefs, individual experience and cognitive capacity are also important antecedents in the adaptation process. This study contributes to the literature by describing a model of climate adaptation capabilities and explaining the causal relationship between the constructs.