Impact of Organizational Virtuousness on Organizational Resilience among Pakistani NGOs: Mediating Role of Organizational Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29145/jmr.131.03Keywords:
dynamic capabilities theory, non-governmental organization, organizational learning, organizational resilience, organizational virtuousnessAbstract
Unforeseen situations, such as crises and disasters necessitate a resilient organization to survive and perform in a sustainable way. The current study highlighted the importance of virtuousness and organizational learning in making an organization a resilient one. The study utilized a quantitative approach, while the unit of analysis was organizational. Structured questionnaires were distributed among 200 respondents personally and via Google Forms to get maximum responses. The unit of analysis was organizational as the research focused on the Non-governmental Organization (NGOs) as a whole rather than on individuals within it. Furthermore, the study examined the virtuous and learning characteristics of the NGOs that help these NGOs in becoming resilient. Targeted organizations were NGOs of Pakistan. Data was analyzed through Smart-PLS. The findings indicated that organizational virtuousness is the key driver to attain organizational resilience, while the mediating role of learning is not there in case of NGOs. The results contributed to the growing body of knowledge, emphasizing that there is a need to explore the predictors of organizational resilience. Moreover, the study results contributed theoretically by explaining that organizational resilience is a dynamic capability. This capability helps organizations in anticipating, adopting, and recovering from uncertain situations by acting as a strong protective mechanism to fight against catastrophic threats. Additionally, the study provided practical implications for policymakers and stakeholders to work on different training programs that are ultimately helpful in making the organizations more dignified.
References
References
Abbas, A. A. (2022). The role of organizational virtuousness in reinforcing proactive work behavior. Organizacijų Vadyba: Sisteminiai Tyrimai, 87, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.2478/mosr-2022-0001
Ahmed, A. (2025, May 15). FAO partners with NGOs for Balochistan rural uplift. Dawn. https://www.dawn.com/news/1912530
Al-Romeedy, B. S., & Mohamed, A. A. (2022). The impact of organizational learning on organizational success in EgyptAir: Organizational power as a moderator. International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 5(2), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.21608/ijthm.2022.211465
Al Nuaimi, F. M. S., Singh, S. K., & Ahmad, S. Z. (2024). Open innovation in SMEs: A dynamic capabilities perspective. Journal of Knowledge Management, 28(2), 484–504. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-11-2022-0906
Atalla, A. D. G., Osman, S. R. S., Hassen, H. A. M., Shibily, F., Felemban, O., Shebaili, M. M., & Mohamed, S. M. S. (2025). Exploring how organizational virtuousness shapes nurses’ occupational commitment: The mediating role of just culture. BMC Nursing, 24(1), Article e1167. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03835-x
Bright, D. S., Cameron, K. S., & Caza, A. (2006). The amplifying and buffering effects of virtuousness in downsized organizations. Journal of Business Ethics, 64(3), 249–269. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-005-5904-4
Britton, B. (2005). Organisational learning in NGOs. The international NGO training and research center. https://www.intrac.org/app/uploads/2016/09/Praxis-Paper-3-Organisational-Learning-in-NGOs-Bruce-Britton.pdf
Butkus, M., Schiuma, G., Bartuševičienė, I., Rakauskiene, O. G., Volodzkiene, L., & Dargenyte-Kacileviciene, L. (2023). The impact of organizational resilience on the quality of public services: Application of structural equation modeling. Equilibrium: Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, 18(2), 461–489. https://doi.org/10.24136/eq.2023.014
Butkus, M., Schiuma, G., Bartuseviciene, I., Volodzkiene, L., Rakauskiene, O. G., & Dargenyte-Kacileviciene, L. (2024). Modelling organisational resilience of public sector organisations to navigate complexity: Empirical insights from Lithuania. Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, 19(2), 373–399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11403-023-00403-x
Cameron, K. S., Bright, D., & Caza, A. (2004). Exploring the relationships between organizational virtuousness and performance. American Behavioral Scientist, 47(6), 766–790. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764203260209
Chen, R., Xie, Y., & Liu, Y. (2021). Defining, conceptualizing, and measuring organizational resilience: A multiple case study. Sustainability, 13(5), Article e2517. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052517
Chen, Y., & Fey, C. (2023). Risk-taking culture and innovation performance: A cross-cultural study of the role of resilience. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2023(1), Article e15381. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMPROC.2023.15381abstract
Colberg, T. (2022, May 12–13). Organisational resilience: Creating ambidexterity in strategic and operational resilience [Paper presentation]. Proceedings of 12th International Scientific Conference “Business and Management 2022”, Vilnius, Lithuania. https://doi.org/10.3846/bm.2022.770
Coutu, D. L. (2002). How resilience works. Harvard Business Review, 80(5), 46–56.
Crossan, M. M., Lane, H. W., & White, R. E. (1999). An organizational learning framework: From intuition to institution. Academy of Management Review, 24(3), 522–537. https://doi.org/10.2307/259140
Douglas, S., & Haley, G. (2024). Connecting organizational learning strategies to organizational resilience. Development and Learning in Organizations, 38(1), 12–15. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-01-2023-0018
Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999
Ewertowski, T., Güldoğuş, B. Ç., Kuter, S., Akyüz, S., Weber, G. W., Sadłowska-Wrzesińska, J., & Racek, E. (2024). Machine learning techniques for assessing organizational resilience. Central European Journal of Operations Research, 32(3), 685–710. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10100-023-00875-z
Fani, A. A., Fard, H. D., & Yakhkeshi, H. (2015). Organizational learning and resilience in public organizations. Journal of Developing Country Studies, 5(13), 64–76.
Garcia-Morales, V. J., Lloréns-Montes, F. J., & Verdú-Jover, A. J. (2007). Influence of personal mastery on organizational performance. Technovation, 27(9), 547–568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2007.02.013
García-Morales, V. J., Llorens-Montes, F. J., & Verdú-Jover, A. J. (2006). Organizational innovation and learning in entrepreneurship. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 106(1), 21–42. https://doi.org/10.1108/02635570610642940
Hernes, T., Blagoev, B., Kunisch, S., & Schultz, M. (2025). From bouncing back to bouncing forward. Academy of Management Review, 50(1), 72–92. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2022.0406
Imran, A., Ahmad, S., Nisar, Q. A., & Ahmad, U. (2014). Rewards, recognition, and job satisfaction. Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research, 21(9), 1533–1540.
Kale, P., Singh, H., & Perlmutter, H. (2000). Learning and protection of proprietary assets. Strategic Management Journal, 21(3), 217–237. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0266
Kantur, D., & İşeri-Say, A. (2012). Organizational resilience framework. Journal of Management & Organization, 18(6), 762–773. https://doi.org/10.5172/jmo.2012.18.6.762
Khan, T. Z. A., & Farooq, W. (2021). Organizational culture and resilience in SMEs. International Journal of Business and Economic Affairs, 6(3), 175–190. https://doi.org/10.24088/IJBEA-2021-63006
Khendlo, J. N., & Beeharry, R. (2025). Barriers to organisational resilience. Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 17(2), Article 1750. https://doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v17i2.1750
Kozcu, G. Y., & Özmen, Ö. (2023). Organizational learning and resilience. Yönetim Bilimleri Dergisi, 21(49), 482–503. https://doi.org/10.35408/comuybd.1252398
Legiman, L., & Widayati, T. (2024). Employee performance and organizational learning. Untag Business and Accounting Review, 3(2), 46–62. https://doi.org/10.56444/ubar.v3i2.5467
Ma, X., Chen, L., & Yu, X. (2025). SME growth and dynamic capabilities. Systems, 13(8), Article e690. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13080690
Magnier-Watanabe, R., Uchida, T., Orsini, P., & Benton, C. F. (2020). Organizational virtuousness and job performance. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, 12(2), 115–138. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJBA-10-2019-0210
Meşe, H., & Özer, Ö. (2025). Organizational virtuousness and employee performance. Uluborlu Mesleki Bilimler Dergisi, 8(2), 51–60. https://doi.org/10.71445/umbd.1694556
Munoz, A., Billsberry, J., & Ambrosini, V. (2022). Resilience, robustness, and antifragility. International Journal of Management Reviews, 24(2), 181–187. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12289
Naseem, R., Akhtar, Q., & Akram, M. (2020). Organizational virtuousness and workplace spirituality. Journal of Management and Research, 7(2), 75–103. https://doi.org/10.29145/jmr/72/070203
Naveed, R. T., Alhaidan, H., Al Halbusi, H., & Al-Swidi, A. K. (2022). Do organizations really evolve? The critical link between organizational culture and organizational innovation toward organizational effectiveness: Pivotal role of organizational resistance. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 7(2), Article e100178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2022.100178
Nikandrou, I., & Tsachouridi, I. (2015). Organizational virtuousness perceptions. Management Decision, 53(8), 1823–1842. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-06-2015-0251
Orchiston, C., Prayag, G., & Brown, C. (2016). Organizational resilience in tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 56, 145–148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2015.11.002
Panda, P., & Singh, P. (2025). Organizational virtuousness and innovation performance. Journal of Organizational Change Management. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-02-2024-0073
Parker, H., & Ameen, K. (2018). Resilience capabilities in firms. Journal of Business Research, 88, 535–541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.12.022
Ramachandran, J., Subramaniam, G., Yee, A. S. V., & Ponnusamy, V. (2022). Corporate virtues and business success. Asian Journal of Business Ethics, 11(1), 55–83. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13520-022-00150-5
Rego, A., Ribeiro, N., & Cunha, M. P. (2010). Organizational virtuousness and citizenship behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 93(2), 215–235. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0197-7
Ruiz-Martin, C., López-Paredes, A., & Wainer, G. (2018). Organizational resilience review. International Journal of Production Management and Engineering, 6(1), 11–28. https://doi.org/10.4995/ijpme.2018.7898
Sarstedt, M., Hair, J. F., Ringle, C. M., Thiele, K. O., & Gudergan, S. P. (2016). PLS and CBSEM estimation issues. Journal of Business Research, 69(10), 3998–4010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.06.007
Shah, M. G., Dey, T., Kostelecky, S. M., Bizri, M. E., Rodo, M., Singh, N. S., Aboubaker, S., Evers, E. S., Ashorn, P., & Langlois, E. V. (2024). Guidance on sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health in humanitarian and fragile settings: a scoping review. BMJ Global Health, 9(3), e013944. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2023-013944
Shojaee, A., Rashed, M., Islam, M. F., & Vasa, L. (2025). Organizational resilience configurations. Sustainable Futures, 10, Article e101236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.101236
Sincorá, L. A., Oliveira, M. P. V. D., Zanquetto-Filho, H., & Alvarenga, M. Z. (2023). Organizational resilience and BPM maturity. Innovation & Management Review, 20(2), 147–161. https://doi.org/10.1108/INMR-11-2021-0219
Soomro, B. A., Mangi, S., & Shah, N. (2021). Organizational learning and innovation. European Journal of Innovation Management, 24(2), 481–506. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-05-2019-0114
Tian, H., Dogbe, C. S. K., Pomegbe, W. W. K., Sarsah, S. A., & Otoo, C. O. A. (2021). Organizational learning and SME innovation. European Journal of Innovation Management, 24(2), 414–438. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-05-2019-0140
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 sania iftikhar, Noor Azman Ali

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Thus, work submitted to Journal of Management and Research implies that it is original, unpublished work of the authors; neither published previously nor accepted/under consideration for publication elsewhere.

