Abstract
Temporal duration is often discounted as a factor in extreme context studies. We aim to explore the role of temporal duration in the degree of contextual extremity and how organizations operating in such a context have learned and developed adaptive capabilities to improve their operational routines by considering time. We conducted exploratory empirical work in two critical action organizations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We found that extreme contexts express temporality peculiarities, suggesting that the frequency and intensity of events affect how organizations learn to respond to extreme contexts, nurture their adaptive capabilities over time and cope with time-induced contextual extremity. More specifically, high levels of extremity are augmented by a combination of frequency and intensity and by organizational uncertainties but are attenuated by a shared organizational identity and corresponding practices.