Innovation And Emerging Organisations: A Conceptual Model For Resilience In Volatile Markets

Abstract

This paper explores the strategic evolution of InnBucks, a fintech microfinance institution in Zimbabwe, as a case of innovation within an emerging organisation operating in a volatile and institutionally complex environment. Drawing from dynamic capabilities, organisational emergence, institutional theory, frugal innovation, and strategic entrepreneurship, the study examines how InnBucks recognised adaptive opportunities, scaled emergent systems, and built customer trust while navigating regulatory pressures. The analysis highlights InnBucks’ hybrid model that blends digital financial innovation with physical accessibility, offering a resilient pathway for financial inclusion in high-risk, low-trust environments. Building on these insights, the paper proposes a conceptual model that integrates adaptive opportunity recognition, emergent system scaling, institutional legitimacy alignment, trust-centric engagement, frugal strategic execution, and dynamic reconfiguration capacity. This framework provides scholars and practitioners with a multidimensional perspective on how innovation enables emerging organisations to thrive in resource-constrained and uncertain markets. The findings advance theoretical and practical understanding of fintech resilience, offering guidance for policymakers and entrepreneurs in designing inclusive and sustainable financial solutions.