Absorptive capacity facilitates adaptation to novel environmental disasters

View/ Open
Issue Date
2021-11-17Author
Cheong, So-Min
Assenova, Valentina A.
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Type
Article
Article Version
Scholarly/refereed, publisher version
Rights
© 2021 Cheong, Assenova. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
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.
Collections
Citation
Cheong S-M, Assenova VA (2021) Absorptive capacity facilitates adaptation to novel environmental disasters. PLoS ONE 16(11): e0259368. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259368
Items in KU ScholarWorks are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.
We want to hear from you! Please share your stories about how Open Access to this item benefits YOU.