Adaptive Intelligence as an Emerging Individual Capability

An Exploratory Study in ITES Multinational Enterprises

Authors

  • Sachin Kumar Malik Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India
  • Dr. Bhaskar Bhowmick Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India
  • Dr. Prabha Bhola Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33422/shconf.v3i1.2076

Keywords:

Adaptability, Adaptive Intelligence, Technostress, Organizational Adaptation Behavior, Technological Change

Abstract

The rapid diffusion of Industry 4.0 technologies has intensified digital transformation across Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) multinational enterprises (MNEs). Despite substantial organisational investments in artificial intelligence, automation, and cloud computing, uneven technology adoption driven by persistent employee resistance continues to undermine transformation outcomes. This paradox indicates that successful digital transformation depends not only on technological sophistication but on employees' individual capacity to adapt to continuous technological change. Addressing this gap, the present study conceptualises Adaptive Intelligence, grounded in Sternberg's theory as a distinct individual capability enabling employees to navigate digital disruption effectively. Adaptive intelligence moves beyond conventional cognitive measures to encompass self-adaptation, environmental shaping and selection, practical and creative intelligence, and wisdom-based judgment. An exploratory qualitative research design was employed, drawing on in-depth interviews with ten practitioners in HR, operations, systems, and talent development roles within ITES MNEs, professionals whose direct involvement in technology implementation affords privileged observational access to how employees encounter, resist, and adapt to digital change at the point of deployment. Data were analysed using the Gioia inductive coding methodology. Five interrelated dimensions of adaptive intelligence emerged: adaptive learning and unlearning, techno-emotional regulation, proactive adoption orientation, environmental shaping capability, and collective adaptive wisdom. These dimensions are further related to the Big Five personality traits through Matthews' Cognitive-Adaptive Theory of Personality, deepening the behavioural understanding of adaptive responses to technological change. The study proposes an integrative conceptual framework and six research propositions, extending theory on dynamic capabilities, digital transformation, and technostress, while offering practical guidance for talent recruitment, capability development, and workforce resilience in digitally transforming organisations.

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Author Biographies

Dr. Bhaskar Bhowmick, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India

Bhaskar Bhowmick is an Associate Professor at the Rajendra Mishra School of Engineering Entrepreneurship (RMSoEE), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, and is affiliated with the Centre of Excellence for Safety Engineering and Analytics. A Fellow of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, his research interests include strategic management, techno-entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership. Prior to joining academia, he accumulated over 13 years of industry experience across diverse domains. Professor Bhowmick leads several innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives supported by the Government of India. His scholarly work, published in leading international journals and conference proceedings, focuses on dynamic capabilities, organizational responses to environmental discontinuities, strategic adaptation, and leadership in emerging economies. He also mentors aspiring entrepreneurs and researchers through the Techno-Entrepreneurial Leadership Lab (TELL), where he integrates research, teaching, and practice to advance innovation-driven entrepreneurship.

Dr. Prabha Bhola, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India

Dr. Prabha Bhola is an Associate Professor at the Rajendra Mishra School of Engineering Entrepreneurship (RMSoEE), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, where she has been serving since 2013. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from IIT Kharagpur and has over a decade of teaching and research experience. Prior to joining IIT Kharagpur, she taught at several prestigious institutions, including the Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), and the University of Hyderabad. Dr. Bhola is the author of the book "Rural Poverty and its Determining Factors: An Empirical Analysis of Districts in Uttar Pradesh, India" and has contributed extensively to edited volumes and peer-reviewed publications in the areas of energy economics, performance measurement, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and sustainable development. Her research spans technology acceptance and resistance, Industry 4.0, entrepreneurship modelling, development economics, sustainability and the circular economy, energy policy and economics, firm performance, and SMEs. Her current work focuses on developing evidence-based models and managerial practices that enhance productivity, innovation, and the long-term economic sustainability of enterprises and start-ups in emerging economies. Through her research and teaching, she seeks to bridge theory and practice to address contemporary challenges in technology adoption, entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic development.

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Published

2026-08-13

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): Proceedings of the 10th World Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Proceedings of the World Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities

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