Organizations including universities are operating in an increasingly volatile environment and they are in a state of constant change. To survive and thrive in this ever‐changing environment, building the capacity to adapt is essential. The basic purpose of this research was to identify and propose basic dimensions that help to envisage the adaptive capacity of public universities. To study universities as complex adaptive systems, complexity theory and pragmatism were used complimentarily. In doing so, mixed research design (in particular, the sequential explanatory approach) was employed. Data were collected using questionnaire and interview from three sample universities' academic staff, support staff and leaders. Meanwhile, the capacity of universities for institutional change was measured by employing composite indicators methodology supported by PLS‐PM analysis. Based on the conceptual model, the adaptive capacity of universities to change initiatives was found to be low, which limits their success in realising their visions through change. Consequently, the identified gaps and challenges in the studied universities strengthen the argument for the need to systematically assess universities’ adaptive capacity using a model and make appropriate intervention before struggling to introduce any change initiative.

中文翻译：

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建立适应变化的大学：一种用于衡量和促进普遍变化的综合指标体系

包括大学在内的组织都在不断变化的环境中运作，并且处于不断变化的状态。为了在瞬息万变的环境中生存和发展，建立适应能力至关重要。这项研究的基本目的是确定并提出基本尺寸，以帮助设想公立大学的适应能力。为了将大学作为复杂的适应系统来研究，互补理论和实用主义得到了互补。为此，采用了混合研究设计（特别是顺序说明方法）。使用问卷调查和访谈的方式从三所样本大学的学术人员，支持人员和负责人那里收集了数据。同时，大学的制度变迁能力是通过采用PLS-PM分析支持的综合指标方法来衡量的。基于概念模型，发现大学改变计划的适应能力很低，这限制了他们通过改变实现愿景的成功。因此，在所研究的大学中发现的差距和挑战加剧了这样的论点，即有必要使用一种模型来系统地评估大学的适应能力，并在努力引入任何变革举措之前进行适当的干预。