How temporary organisations manage flexibility in times of crises? Experiences of a Chinese control command in response to COVID‐19

Abstract

AbstractCoordination of the response to the COVID‐19 crisis may be understood as the multimonth management of a temporary organisation instead of classical crisis management. A key question is how to maintain operational flexibility, that is, an organisation's ability to adapt its day‐to‐day functions to accommodate a changing environment. This contribution describes how a control command established by a Chinese municipality in response to COVID‐19 tried to cope with the problems at hand. Based partially upon participatory observation the following aspects are considered: shifting political attention, adapting interaction frequency, changing organisational structures, improvising routines, and altering priorities.