Distinct but Complementary: Dynamic and Improvisational Capabilities

Sonia R. White, PhD
Director, Center for Nonprofit Management & Leadership
Dillard College of Business Administration
Midwestern State University, Texas

There has been very little theoretical or empirical research examining how dynamic and improvisational capabilities work together to achieve organizational outcomes such as resiliency. To date, empirical and conceptual discriminant validity between dynamic and improvisational capabilities has remained unsupported because there is a dearth of research examining these concepts in the same empirical study, leaving uncertainty for managers and scholars. This study empirically examined the discriminant difference between dynamic and improvisational capabilities with an initial pilot study (Sample 1: N = 75) using the HTMT ratio as the primary criterion and HTMT confidence intervals as the secondary criterion. Overall, this research demonstrated that dynamic and improvisational capabilities are distinct concepts. Several limitations are discussed, as well as theoretical and practitioner implications and future research opportunities.

Sonia White, Ph.D., CNP, ACNP: Sonia is the Director of the Center for Nonprofit Management & Leadership at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. She oversees the Nonprofit Management Minor in the Dillard College of Business Administration and advises students pursuing that degree. Dr. White developed the Nonprofit Management Minor courses’ curriculum and content, including the four classes she teaches.

Sonia has 20 years of professional experience in the nonprofit sector and has worked for multiple large nonprofits in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, as well as operating a consulting firm, Sonia White Consulting, LLC. Sonia served as the Director for the Area Agency on Aging for Dallas County and the Managing Director for Aging and Disability Services for the Community Council of Greater Dallas, overseeing an $8 million budget. Since 2015, Dr. White has written many successful federal grants, resulting in over $30 million in federal funds awarded.

Sonia is a native Texan, born in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. White earned her Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration in Management at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. Sonia attended the University of Texas at Austin, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts and teacher certification, and received her Master of Science in Education, emphasizing Supervision and Administration in the Fine Arts, from Bank Street College and Parsons School of Design in Manhattan, NY. Sonia is a Standards for Excellence Licensed Consultant, has her BoardSource Certificate in Board Governance, and both the Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) and Advanced Certified Nonprofit Professional (ACNP) credentials.