Skip to main content

Resilience Undefined: A Framework for Interdisciplinary Communication and Application to Real-World Problems

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Disaster Management: Enabling Resilience

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Social Networks ((LNSN))

Abstract

Resilience scholars from multiple fields continue to look for a universally accepted definition of resilience. But is a universal definition across disciplines possible or even desirable in the near future? The proposed framework enables a more holistic understanding of the various fields of resilience research and makes communication across several domains more productive by placing the discussions into four types of resilience that are broad enough to facilitate discussion, but specific enough to allow for the translation of resilience into specific policies, practices and outcomes.

A preliminary version of this research paper [37] was presented at the 5th International Symposium on Resilience Engineering, Soesterberg, Netherlands.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    This is close to the term found in physics/material science, where resilience is the property of a material to absorb energy when it is deformed elastically and then resume its initial form.

References

  1. Adger WN (2006) Vulnerability. A cross-cutting theme of the international human dimensions programme on global environmental change resilience. Glob Environ Change 16(3):268–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Aiginger K (2009) Strengthening the resilience of an economy. Intereconomics 44(5):309–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Aven T (2011) On some recent definitions and analysis frameworks for risk, vulnerability, and resilience. Risk Anal: Int J 31(4):515–522

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Baker SM (2009) Vulnerability and resilience in natural disasters. a marketing and public policy perspective. J Public Policy Mark 2009(28):114–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Berkes F (2007) Understanding uncertainty and reducing vulnerability: lessons from resilience thinking. Nat Hazards 41(2):283–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Boisot M, McKelvey B (2011) Connectivity, Extremes, and Adaptation: A Power-Law Perspective of Organizational Effectiveness. J Manage Inq 20(2):119–133

    Google Scholar 

  7. Brand FS, Jax K (2007) Focusing the meaning(s) of resilience: resilience as a descriptive concept and a boundary object. Ecol Society 12(1):23

    Google Scholar 

  8. Campbell FC (2008) Elements of metallurgy and engineering alloys. ASM Int, Materials Park, Ohio

    Google Scholar 

  9. Caralli RA, Allen JH, Curtis PD, Young LR (2010) CERT resilience management model, version 1.0, CMU/SEI-2010-TR-012, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh

    Google Scholar 

  10. Carpenter S, Walker B, Anderies JM, Abel N (2001) From metaphor to measurement: resilience of what to what? Ecosystems 4(8):765–781

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Carpenter SR, Arrow Kenneth J, Barrett S, Biggs R, Brock WA, Crépin A-S (2012) General resilience to cope with extreme events. Sustainability, 12(4):3248–3259

    Google Scholar 

  12. Christopher M, Peck H (2004) Building the resilient supply chain. Int J Logistics Manage 15(2):1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Crnkovic I (2011) Predictability and evolution in resilient systems. software engineering for resilient systems. In: Troubitsyna E (ed) Lecture notes in computer science, vol 6968. Springer, Berlin, pp 113–114

    Google Scholar 

  14. Cumming GS, Barnes G, Perz S, Schmink M, Sieving KE, Southworth J, Binford M, Holt RD, Stickler C, Holt T (2005) An exploratory framework for the empirical measurement of resilience. Ecosystems 8(8):975–987

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Dorner D (1996) The logic of failure: recognizing and avoiding error in complex situations. Metropolitan Books, New York

    Google Scholar 

  16. Efatmaneshnik E, Reidsema C (2007) Immunity as a design decision making paradigm for complex systems. a robustness approach. Cybernet Syst: Int J 38:759–780

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Folke C (2006) Resilience: the emergence of a perspective for social-ecological systems analyses. resilience, vulnerability, and adaptation: a cross-cutting theme of the international human dimensions programme on global environmental change. Glob Environ Change 16(3):253–267

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Friedman M (1993) The plucking model of business fluctuations revisited. Econ Inq 31(2):171–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Griffiths DJ (2013) Revolutions in twentieth-century physics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  20. Gunderson LH (Ed) (2002) Panarchy: understanding transformations in human and natural systems, Island Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  21. Haimes YY (2009) On the definition of resilience in systems. Risk Anal: Int J 29(4):498–501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Hamel G, Välikangas L (2003) The quest for resilience. Harvard Bus Rev 81(9):52–63

    Google Scholar 

  23. Handmer JW, Dovers SR (1996) A typology of resilience: rethinking institutions for sustainable development. Organ Environ 9(4):482–511

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Holland J (1998) Emergence: from chaos to order. Basic Books, New York, pp 244–246

    Google Scholar 

  25. Holling CS (1973) Resilience and stability of ecological systems. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg

    Google Scholar 

  26. Holling CS (2001) Understanding the Complexity of economic, ecological, and social systems. Ecosystems 4(5):390–405

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Holling CS (1996) Engineering resilience versus ecological resilience. In: Schulze PC (ed) Engineering within ecological constraints. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C

    Google Scholar 

  28. Holling CS, Gunderson LH (2002) Resilience and Adaptive Cycles, in Gunderson, LH (Ed), Panarchy: understanding transformations in human and natural systems, Island Press, Washington, DC, pp 25–62

    Google Scholar 

  29. Hollnagel E, Woods DD, Leveson N (2006) Resilience engineering: concepts and precepts. Ashgate, Aldershot

    Google Scholar 

  30. Horne III JF, Orr JE (1998) Assessing behaviors that create resilient organizations, Employment Relations Today (Wiley), Vol 24, pp 29–39

    Google Scholar 

  31. IF4IT (2014) IF4IT Glossary. http://if4it.com/SYNTHESIZED/GLOSSARY/C/Capability.html. Accessed 22 Jan 2014

  32. Klein RJT, Nicholls RJ, Thomalla F (2003) The resilience of coastal megacities to weather-related hazards. In: Kreimer A, Arnold M, Carlin A (eds) Building safer cities: the future of disaster risk. World Bank, Washington, D.C., pp 101–120

    Google Scholar 

  33. Le Coze J-C, Dupré M (2008) The Need for Translators and for new Models of Safety, in Hollnagel E, Nemeth CP, Dekker S (eds.) Resilience Engineering Perspectives 1. Remaining Sensitive to the Possibility of Failure, Ashgate, Aldershot, England, Burlington, VT. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-08819-8_1

  34. Lengnick-Hall CA, Beck TE (2005) Adaptive fit versus robust transformation: how organizations respond to environmental change. J Manage 31(5):738–757

    Google Scholar 

  35. Lewin R, Regine B (1999) On the edge in the world of business, in Lewin R (Ed) Complexity: life at the edge of chaos, 2nd edn., Wiley, Chicago, pp 197–211

    Google Scholar 

  36. Linnenluecke M, Griffiths A (2010) Beyond adaptation: resilience for business in light of climate change and weather extremes. Bus Soc 49(3):477–511

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Longstaff PH, Koslowski TG, Geoghegan W (2013) Translating resilience: a framework to enhance communication and implementation, 5th International Symposium on Resilience Engineering, Soesterberg, Netherlands, June 25–27

    Google Scholar 

  38. Longstaff PH (2005) Security, resilience, and communication in unpredictable environments such as terrorism, natural disasters, and complex technology

    Google Scholar 

  39. Lorenz DF (2010) The diversity of resilience: contributions from a social science perspective, Natural Hazards, pp 1–18

    Google Scholar 

  40. Luthar SS, Cicchetti D, Becker B (2000) The construct of resilience: a critical evaluation and guidelines for future work. Child Dev 71(3):543–562

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Madni AM, Jackson S (2009) Towards a conceptual framework for resilience engineering. Syst J 3(2), pp 181–191

    Google Scholar 

  42. Marczyk J (2002) Beyond optimization in computer-aided engineering, Barcelona

    Google Scholar 

  43. Masten AS (2001) Ordinary magic: resilience processes in development. Am Psychol 56(3):227–238

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. McCann JE, Selsky JW (2012) Mastering turbulence: The essential capabilities of agile and resilient individuals, teams, and organizations, 1st edn. Jossey-Bass, San Franciso

    Google Scholar 

  45. McDaniels T, Chang S, Cole D, Mikawoz J, Longstaff H (2008) Fostering resilience to extreme events within infrastructure systems: characterizing decision contexts for mitigation and adaptation. Glob Environ Change 18(2):310–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Mendoca D (2008) Measures of resilient performance. In: E Hollnagel, CP Nemeth, and S Dekker (eds) resilience engineering perspectives 1. Remaining sensitive to the possibility of failure, pp 29–46, Aldershot, Hampshire, England, Burlington, Ashgate

    Google Scholar 

  47. Mitleton-Kelly E (2003) Complex systems and evolutionary perspectives on organisations: the application of complexity theory to organisations. Pergamon, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  48. Nelson DR, Adger WN, Brown K (2007) Adaptation to environmental change: contributions of a resilience framework. In: Matson PA, Gadgil A (eds) Annual review of environment and resources. Annual Reviews Inc, Palo Alto, pp 395–419

    Google Scholar 

  49. Nemeth CP (2008) Resilience engineering: the birth of a notion. In: E Hollnagel, CP Nemeth, S Dekker (eds) Resilience engineering perspectives 1. Remaining sensitive to the possibility of failure, pp 3–9, Aldershot, Hampshire, England, Burlington, VT: Ashgate

    Google Scholar 

  50. Nemeth CP (2009) The Ability to Adapt. In: CP Nemeth, E Hollnagel, S Dekker (eds) Resilience engineering perspectives 2. Preparation and restoration. Ashgate, Farnham, pp 1–12

    Google Scholar 

  51. Norris FH, Stevens SP, Pfefferbaum B, Wyche KF, Pfefferbaum RL (2008) Community resilience as a metaphor, theory, set of capacities, and strategy for disaster readiness. Am J Community Psychol 41(1–2):127–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Park J, Seager TP, Rao PSC, Convertino M, Linkov I (2013) Integrating risk and resilience approaches to catastrophe management in engineering systems. Risk Anal 33(3):356–367

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Perrow C (1999) Normal accidents. Living with high-risk technologies. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  54. Pettit TJ, Fiksel J, Croxton KL (2010) Ensuring supply chain resilience: development of a conceptual framework. J Bus Logistics 31(1):1–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  55. Pimm SL (1984) The complexity and stability of ecosystems. Nature 307(5949):321–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  56. Ponomarov SY, Holcomb MC (2009) Understanding the concept of supply chain resilience. Int J Logistics Manage 20(1):124–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  57. Reinmoeller P, van Baardwijk N (2005) The link between diversity and resilience. MIT Sloan Manage Rev 46(4):61–65

    Google Scholar 

  58. Resilience Alliance (2014) Research on resilience in social-ecological systems. http://www.resalliance.org/. Accessed 22 Jan 2014

  59. Resilience engineering association (2014) The official home of resilience engineering. http://www.resilience-engineering-association.org/. Accessed 22 Jan 2014

  60. Rose A (2004) Defining and measuring economic resilience to disasters. Disaster Prev Manage 13(4):307–314

    Article  Google Scholar 

  61. Sheffi Y (2007) The Resilient Enterprise. Overcoming vulnerability for competitive advantage. MIT Press Books, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  62. Smit B, Wandel J (2006) Adaptation, adaptive capacity and vulnerability. Glob Environ Change 16(3):282–292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  63. Strunz S (2012) Is conceptual vagueness an asset? Arguments from philosophy of science applied to the concept of resilience. Ecol Econ 76:112–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  64. Suddaby R (2010) Editor’s comments. Construct clarity in theories of management and organization. Acad Manage Rev 35(3):346–357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  65. Timmerman P (1981) Vulnerability, resilience and the collapse of society: a review of models and possible climatic applications. Canada, Toronto

    Google Scholar 

  66. Trautwine JC (1907) The civil engineer’s pocket-book. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  67. Vogus TJ, Sutcliffe KM (2007) Organizational resilience: towards a theory and research agenda. In: IEEE international conference on systems, man and cybernetics, pp 3418–3422

    Google Scholar 

  68. Walker B, Carpenter S, Anderies J, Abel N, Cumming G, Janssen M, Lebel L, Norberg J, Peterson GD, Pritchard R (2002) Resilience management in social-ecological systems: a working hypothesis for a participatory approach. Conserv Ecol 6(1):14

    Google Scholar 

  69. Walker B, Holling CS, Carpenter SR, Kinzig A (2004) Resilience, adaptability and transformability in social–ecological systems. Ecol Soc 9(2):5

    Google Scholar 

  70. Walker B, Gunderson LH, Kinzig AP, Folke C, Carpenter SR, Schultz L (2006) A handful of heuristics and some propositions for understanding resilience in social-ecological systems. Ecol Soc 11(1):13

    Google Scholar 

  71. Walker B, Salt D (2012) Resilience practice: Building capacity to absorb disturbance and maintain function, Island Press, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  72. Walker BH, Salt D (2006) Resilience thinking: Sustaining ecosystems and people in a changing world, Island Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  73. Weick KE, Sutcliffe KM (2007) Managing the unexpected: resilient performance in an age of uncertainty, 2nd edn. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  74. Wolfram S (1986) How can complex systems be used in engineering? approaches to complexity engineering. Physica D 22:385–399

    Article  Google Scholar 

  75. Woods DD (2006) Essential charactersistics of resilience. In: Hollnagel E, Woods DD, Leveson N (eds) Resilience engineering: Concepts and precepts. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, Burlington, pp 21–35

    Google Scholar 

  76. Zobel CW (2011) Representing perceived tradeoffs in defining disaster resilience. Decis Support Syst 50(2):394–403

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas G. Koslowski .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Koslowski, T.G., Longstaff, P.H. (2015). Resilience Undefined: A Framework for Interdisciplinary Communication and Application to Real-World Problems. In: Masys, A. (eds) Disaster Management: Enabling Resilience. Lecture Notes in Social Networks. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08819-8_1

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics