Absorptive capacity facilitates adaptation to novel environmental disasters.

Absorptive capacity-the ability to learn and apply external knowledge and information to acquire material resources-is an essential but overlooked driver in community adaptation to new and unprecedented disasters. We analyzed data from a representative random sample of 603 individuals from 25 coasta...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: So-Min Cheong, Valentina A Assenova
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021
Materias:
R
Q
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/1f620c4178d64a578492382f75d0beee
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
Descripción
Sumario:Absorptive capacity-the ability to learn and apply external knowledge and information to acquire material resources-is an essential but overlooked driver in community adaptation to new and unprecedented disasters. We analyzed data from a representative random sample of 603 individuals from 25 coastal communities in Louisiana affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. We used simultaneous equation models to assess the relationship between absorptive capacity and resource acquisition for affected individuals after the disaster. Results show that the diversity of individuals' prior knowledge coupled with the community's external orientation and internal cohesion facilitate resource use. They go beyond simply providing resources and demonstrate individual and community features necessary for absorbing information and knowledge and help devise adaptation strategies to address the dynamics of changing economic, social, and political environment after the disaster.