Requisite Resilience: Towards a Definition

This paper introduces and defines the concept of Requisite Resilience as a way to better understand how systems and organizations can respond effectively to crises. Building on Ashby's Law of Requisite Variety, and extending the work of Boisot and McKelvey, the concept focuses not on managing complexity for its own sake but on maintaining functionality in the face of disruptive events. Requisite Resilience refers to the capacity of a system to balance internal variety with external disturbances, by mobilizing appropriate responses across multiple levels and actors. The paper positions resilience as a meta-capability, distinct from but related to existing notions of complexity and adaptability. A conceptual framework is proposed, highlighting the risks of both under- and over-resilience when internal configurations are misaligned with environmental challenges. While the concept remains in an early stage of development, this contribution seeks to open the field to further theoretical refinement, empirical testing, and managerial application. Future research directions include clarifying the links between resilience and systems, exploring the role of resources in resilience-building, deriving practical implications for managers, and assessing how contextual factors such as culture and organizational size shape resilience configurations.