ADAPTIVE RESILIENCE IN NEWLY ESTABLISHED PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS

Purpose: This study examines how a newly established public organization adapts to organizational change under institutional expansion, limited resources, and structural uncertainty, conditions that classical change models do not adequately address. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative single-case study was conducted at the Office of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Pamekasan Regency, Indonesia, between November 2025 and February 2026. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with nine purposively selected informants, one month of participant observation, and document review. They were analysed through open coding, constant comparison, and theoretical comparison, with source and method triangulation and member checking supporting trustworthiness. Findings: Change did not follow a linear unfreeze–change–refreeze sequence. Six interacting elements emerged: pre-unfreezing, identity release, adaptive coping mechanisms, cultural accelerators, fragile refreezing, and ecosystem support. Informal adaptation, the religious meaning attached to work, and external partnerships sustained operations, whereas stability remained temporary because central policy revisions repeatedly altered work procedures. Research limitations/implications: The single-case design and short observation period limit generalisation; the framework is context-sensitive and requires testing in other settings and over longer periods. Practical implications: Newly formed public organizations should assess readiness before change, facilitate identity transition, formalise effective informal practices, draw on shared religious-cultural values, and institutionalise external partnerships. Originality/value: The study proposes the Adaptive Resilience Framework, which extends change-management theory by integrating dynamic capabilities, collaborative governance, and religious-cultural values in a non-Western, resource-constrained public-sector context. Keywords: change management; adaptive resilience; institutional expansion; public organization; dynamic capabilities