Navigating Uncertainty: Dynamic Capabilities and Entrepreneurial Opportunities in a Volatile World

Recorded on November 6, 2025 as part of the International Business Webinar Series Hosted by GSU CIBER and sponsored by the national CIBER MSI Consortium. In today’s global business landscape—marked by geopolitical tensions, market instability, and institutional flux—uncertainty has become the norm. Yet for entrepreneurial firms, disruption can also create space for innovation and opportunity. In this webinar, we will present findings from our research with SMEs in China and Tunisia—two emerging markets often characterized by volatility and institutional change. We explore how dynamic capabilities, such as resource reconfiguration, intelligence acquisition, and cross-border coordination, can support firms in navigating disruption through both opportunity creation and discovery. While our data is grounded in specific emerging market contexts, we aim to remain transparent about what our findings can and cannot speak to directly. Rather than drawing universal conclusions, we invite participants to reflect with us on how our theoretical insights may serve as a starting point for broader thinking about strategy, innovation, and resilience in today’s uncertain world. Following a brief presentation, we will facilitate a wider conversation with the audience, exploring timely questions such as: How might geopolitical and institutional shifts open up new “white spaces”—that is, previously unserved or underserved entrepreneurial opportunities? What are the strategic trade-offs between creating and discovering opportunities—and what are the risks of doing both simultaneously? How do cultural distance and globalization shape the boundaries of what firms can pursue? Takeaways: 1.Turbulence Breeds Opportunity—But Only for the Strategically Prepared. SMEs with dynamic capabilities can uncover "white space" opportunities amid global conflict and trade tension. 2. Creation vs. Discovery: Choose Your Path Wisely. Opportunity creation and discovery require different strategies—doing both at once can hurt performance. 3. Context Matters. Cultural distance and industry globalization strongly influence which strategy will work best. The International Business Webinar Series is a project of the national CIBER Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Consortium, led by Georgia State University CIBER and sponsored by CIBERs at Florida International University, George Washington University, Indiana University, Loyola Marymount University, Michigan State University, Temple University, Texas A&M University, University of Colorado-Denver, and the University of Maryland. This program is partially funded by the U.S. Department of Education.