Due to the pandemic outbreak, affected companies experienced drops in production ^[1]. Thus, companies adapted to strategic processes to find alternative solutions in this “new normal.” Organizational resilience has been considered a key element in adapting and coping with an uncertain and challenging crisis such as a pandemic ^[2]. Consequently, in their desire to adapt and survive the pandemic, many companies make strategies to achieve adequate organizational resilience due to their resources and capabilities. Indeed, the definition of resilience is controversial ^[3] due to its multidimensional and multilevel nature ^[4][5]. However, an essential aspect of resilience is that organizations adapt to strategic processes to find alternative solutions in this “new normal” ^[1].

Regarding the factors that influence organizational resilience, studies show that the impact of the pandemic crisis generated in companies’ reductions in sales, supply chains, cash flow ^[6]. Thus, Ambulkar et al. ^[7] state that companies need to have capabilities to reconfigure to manage supply chains to minimize risk. Lengnick-Hall et al. ^[8] argue that proper human resource management and employee creativity promote organizational resilience. Moreover, organizational culture, ^[9], and flexibility ^[4] are critical elements for organizational resilience. Also, some strategies used the business model innovation ^[10], human resources flexibility ^[11], resource-based vision through dynamic capabilities ^[12], and technological capabilities ^[13]. Therefore, our literature review found that internal and external factors can explain organizational resilience.

So far, few empirical studies explain the factors that explain organizational resilience ^[14]. Moreover, the studies focus on developed economies ^[15][16]. Our study attempts to fill this gap by comparing two emerging economies- China and Central America countries, because they have different economic, political, and cultural systems, making their comparison attractive. Also, this research offers countries two typologies of classification for emerging economies (traditional and mid-range). Likewise, through a comparative analysis, we seek to know the similarities and differences of emerging economies by providing policymakers and managers knowledge about resilience strategies in companies. Our research employs an integrative “strategy tripod” approach to operationalize resilience theory ^[17] through three theoretical perspectives: the firm, the industry, and the institution ^[18][19], allowing for a more integrated analysis of influential variables to understand the determinants of high organizational resilience in an emerging economy context.

In the case of China, the results show that: (i) use organization innovation to mitigate the infected numbers of the pandemic; (ii) labor flexibility or elasticity in its adaptation process to the new environment; and (iii) a high emotional intelligence (non-artificial intelligence) achieving a higher commitment and productivity of workers are necessary conditions for Chinese companies to achieve high organizational resilience in this “new normal.” However, in the case of Central America, the results show that: (i) use organization innovation to mitigate the pandemic infected numbers; and (ii) a favorable control of the turbulent environment. These are necessary conditions for Central American companies to achieve high resilience in this “new normal.” Both contexts require rapid internal organization (organizational innovation) and a controlled external environment. China reinforces its strategies in an intensification of flexibility in human resources. In addition, Chinese companies have more capabilities to overcome the “black swan” crisis, which allows them to adapt quickly and generate business model innovation to mitigate the effects of the pandemic in this “new normality.” On the other hand, Central America needs a quick organization and is not as prepared as China.