Leading Through Change: Psychometric Validation of the Adaptive Capacity Questionnaire

Resumen

This study examines the concept of adaptive capacity in organizational leadership and introduces the Adaptive Capacity Questionnaire (ACQ) as a tool to measure it within the Puerto Rican context. Drawing on the adaptive leadership framework, adaptive capacity refers to the ability to mobilize people to confront difficult challenges, learn from disruption, and thrive during periods of change (Heifetz et al., 2009). Puerto Rico provides a particularly relevant setting for this research due to its recent history of recurring crises, all of which have significantly affected businesses and organizational operations. To address the lack of validated instruments measuring adaptive capacity in this context, the study developed and tested the ACQ, a 32-item questionnaire designed to assess eight adaptive leadership dimensions. The instrument was administered to 335 organizational leaders in Puerto Rico across different leadership levels. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional design, the study evaluated the psychometric properties of the ACQ through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses as well as reliability testing. Results supported the instrument’s validity and reliability, demonstrating strong internal consistency and confirming a second-order model with eight dimensions. Analyses also showed no significant differences in adaptive capacity scores across leadership level, age, gender, education, tenure, sector, or organizational size. Overall, the study contributes to organizational psychology by operationalizing adaptive capacity as a measurable construct and providing a validated instrument that can support leadership selection, training, and organizational resilience in contexts characterized by continuous change.