Emergent organizing: Origins and evolution of temporary crisis response organizations

Abstract

Projects and other temporary organizations play a key role in crisis response. However, little is known about how these organizations adapt and change over time as crises last. We conducted a qualitative, longitudinal study of emergent organizing in temporary crisis organizations. This paper focuses on the origins and development of three temporary organizations responding to the COVID-19 crisis in the Netherlands and how these evolved during the crisis. Results of this study show three stages of emergent organizing: identification of operational voids, dynamics of emergent organizing, and solidification. As such, we theorize how emergent organizing is initiated and how it unfolds in longitudinal crises. In this way, our study contributes to literature on project management, crisis management theory, and the general organization and management literature.