Not in a vacuum: How extra-organizational crises influence identities and relationships

Abstract

Organizations and their members frequently face extra-organizational crises of various magnitudes. While several bodies of literature have focused on how individuals react to crises that occur within one’s organization, we know less about how crises that are external to a given organization influence internal dynamics. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic has made evident, external crises can shape not only the type of work people may be able to pursue, but also how they may go about doing it, including how they see themselves and relate to others. In the proposed symposium, we ask a group of esteemed panelists to reflect on their work to discuss the various ways in which extra-organizational crises may influence individuals’ work identities, relationships, as well as their organizing efforts, within established firms or entrepreneurial ventures. We then follow this with general thoughts from a discussant and a subsequent Q&A with the audience.