IT Manager Behavior in Crisis Response: Understanding Crisis Cases Using Recommendations from the Crisis Management Literature

Abstract

In their role as stewards of organizational information technology (IT), IT managers participate in crisis management activities. While much has been said about the power of technology in improving preparation for emergencies, the behavior of IT managers in crisis situations is not well understood. This paper addresses IT manager actions during the crisis response effort, when appropriate actions need to be taken at short notice. Recognizing that few guidelines exist for IT managers in these situations, we use recommendations from the crisis management literature in analyzing five earthquake cases from Japan and Taiwan. We identify several recommendations from this set for IT managers, which are related mainly to communications and leadership behaviors, suggesting that the IT manager role is a vital one in crisis response. The research additionally shows that recommendations from the crisis management literature have value also when applied to IT managers. Finally, we conclude on several ways that our understanding of IT manager crisis response could be developed by future research.