Resilient Organisations Research Articles

Development of a Model for Comprehensive Evaluation of Corporate Resilience Against Disasters (1)—An Examination Based on Indicators Developed by “Resilient Organisations”

“Resilience” is the ability to recover after being affected by a disaster or accident. Companies are expected to be resilient against accidents and disasters; however, no method comprehensively evaluates corporate resilience. As a preparation for developing such an evaluation method, this study examines the 13 Resilience Indicators developed by “Resilient Organisations” as one of the models for organizational resilience to assess whether it comprehensively covers the factors that contribute to corporate resilience. This study compares the indicators with past accidents and disaster cases. Consequently, the study determined that the 13 Resilience Indicators do not explicitly cover the following four factors: (1) risk diversification related to external resources such as suppliers, (2) prompt decision-making and action, (3) countermeasures to protect corporate reputation, and (4) a never-give-up attitude. It cannot be said that this is a definitive conclusion, as subjectivity intervenes in various ways in the examination process. However, this study identified factors that should be considered while developing a model that comprehensively includes factors that contribute to corporate resilience.

The role of ethical leadership in resilient corporations

This paper suggests that to ensure resilient and sustainable organisations, ethical leadership needs to go beyond strict rule compliance, using a four-pronged approach: 1. Collect and monitor broad indicators, quantitative and qualitative, that may signal an increase in ethical risks; 2. Create an open and safe dialogue culture where voicing risks and concerns is actively encouraged. 3. Develop a values-based corporate culture where duty of care, in its widest conception, guides policies and decision making by all members of the organisation. This implies actively supporting those who (i) show genuine concern and care for the organisation; (ii) care for one another and for their staff; (iii) care for stakeholders, including clients and those that may be negatively affected by its operations; 4. Create trust in this values-based culture by ensuring a gradual, people-centred response to inappropriate conduct, away from the traditional rules-based legalistic approach that has fuelled distrust in the system's ability to heal internally.

Analysing the Impact of Crises on Financial Performance: Empirical Insights from Tourism and Transport Companies Listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange (during 2005–2022)

To adapt to the business environment, organisations adhere to management strategies capable of removing the effects of negative events, transforming themselves into resilient organisations. Physical and mental difficulties are the consequences of recent corporate developments, and protecting these organisations is a significant concern for managers. Using regression analysis of panel data, we evaluate the effectiveness and performance of 34 tourism and transport companies listed on the BSE in the 2005–2022 period by testing the effect of leverage on financial performance. Then, we focus on identifying the effects of recent crises (the global financial crisis of 2007–2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic) on financial performance and, implicitly, on organisational resilience. The findings suggest that the research hypotheses were partially validated, noting that the indicators included in the study registered significant decreases for the COVID-19 crisis period compared to the global financial crisis period. The paper provides information on measuring the resilience of companies through their ability to withstand the global financial crisis and the crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study is also among the first to examine the role of financial crises in the leverage and financial performance relationship in Romania.

Zelensky files

Leadership, in all its guises, is complex, messy, elusive and often times enigmatic. Talented leaders fail and average leaders thrive in all sectors of society, including universities. Dynamic leadership situations with the right timing and a little luck create great leaders; complex situations also result in failure for some of the most talented leaders. And, occasionally a leader’s talent transcends even the most complex situational context resulting in sustainable transformational change. This paper is a descriptive analysis of one leader who has captured the hearts, minds and imaginations of people across the world – President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. The article askes: Does Zelensky’s leadership contribute to the field of leadership? Do the Zelensky’s files [lessons] provide leadership options for university leaders? The author concludes yes to both research questions. Indeed, this article is not a political statement nor advocacy for any particular position. It is a discussion and analysis of leadership – and not simply for presidents and senior CEO leaders but all leaders within universities and schools, particularly those in educational technology and online digital learning. Education is at a crossroads and it is increasingly clear that institutions of the future must be resilient, adaptive and agile organisations capable of responding rapidly and effectively to societal trends and change. Future-proofing education against uncertainty, change, and complexity is simply not a viable option. Organisations will need a dynamic, humanistic and inspirational approach to leadership centred around empathy, empowerment, engagement and execution. Leaders of digital online learning units and managers of educational technology will need The Zelensky Files as much as chief executives.

Organizational resilience and enterprise profitability in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic: an approach using the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis

PurposeThis paper aims to determine pathways leading to enterprise profitability during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines.Design/methodology/approachThe study (N = 272) was participated by 228 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and 44 large enterprises. Configurational analysis using the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis was used in modelling combinations of firm characteristics and organizational resilience attributes that could lead to enterprise profitability.FindingsUsing the Benchmark Resilience Tool of Resilient Organisations, the study showed that three main attributes of organizational resilience (leadership and culture, networks and relationships, and readiness to change) played significant roles in enterprise profitability. Other conditions of varying influence on profitability included costs, sales, number of employees and the number of years in operations of an enterprise. For MSMEs, profitability can be achieved if all resilience attributes are present, while for large enterprises, the absence of some resilience attributes can be compensated by other attributes such as low decline in sales, low employee reduction, and more years in operation.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts have been far-reaching, the MSMEs and large enterprises are more likely to be profitable if they have used the three organizational resilience attributes. Moreover, these attributes do not only improve firm profitability and the overall enterprise performance during the present pandemic but also prepare them for future shocks.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, modelling antecedents of enterprise profitability using configurational analysis is the first in the Philippines.

Artificial intelligence and robotics on the frontlines of the pandemic response: the regulatory models for technology adoption and the development of resilient organisations in smart cities

Smart cities do not exist without robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI). As the case of the COVID-19 pandemic shows, they can assist in combating the novel coronavirus and its effects, and preventing its spread. However, their deployment necessitate the most secure, safe, and efficient use. The purpose of this article is to address the regulatory framework for AI and robotics in the context of developing resilient organisations in smart cities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study provides regulatory insights necessary to re-examine the strategic management of technology creation, dissemination, and application in smart cities, in order to address the issues regarding the strategic management of innovation policies nationally, regionally, and worldwide. To meet these goals, the article analyses government materials, such as strategies, policies, legislation, reports, and literature. It also juxtaposes materials and case studies, with the help of expert knowledge. The authors emphasise the imminent need for coordinated strategies to regulate AI and robots designed for improving digital and smart public health services globally.

Marketing in the Context of Organisational Market Resilience

ABSTRACT Evaluating contemporary business changes against the backdrop of the concept of turbulent business environment presented by Ansoff in the ’70s allows us to identify a new way of interpreting Ansoff’s description of turbulence as the key characteristic of the business environment. The new business landscape, described by VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, BANI (brittle, anxious, nonlinear, incomprehensible) or RUPT (rapid, unpredictable, paradoxical, tangled) acronyms, is complex, illegible and intensified by COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine. It results in shortening the life-cycle of the organisation as well as the importance needing to be attributed to an organisation’s predisposition towards remaining resilient in the face of turbulence. The paper is based on primary research and aims to identify the role of marketing in contemporary business environment and future development in the context of the idea of resilient organisations. The identified business challenges are addressed using the described marketing functions - ‘customer advocacy’, ‘business owner’ and ‘professional manager’.

People‐centred business continuity: a case for inclusive design

This conceptual paper draws together the seemingly disparate concepts of business continuity and inclusive design with a two‐fold overarching aim. Firstly, the paper aims to make a case for people‐centred approaches to business continuity planning, particularly in areas of real‐time assessment, building agile and resilient organisations, and new value creation. This is fulfilled by tracing recent developments in business continuity thinking and business continuity management practice, that highlight a shift from a purely functional approach, to a more holistic, embedded, dynamic, people‐centred and strategic stance. Secondly, the paper aims to propose new applications of inclusive design for business impact in general, and business continuity in particular, thereby extending the business case for inclusive design as outlined in British Standards (BS 7000–6:2005). This is fulfilled by highlighting the rationale, value and emergent opportunities in this area. In bringing the two concepts and their respective theory and practice together, the paper also presents recent discussions on the intersection of design thinking and business continuity, which demonstrate the potential value that a design‐led approach can bring to enable people‐centredness and inclusion in the domain of business continuity. Additionally, the paper proposes a first‐level definition of ‘people‐centred business continuity’ which is considered a steppingstone in the research process for further investigation in both theory and application.

Building Resilience at Work: A Practical Framework for Leaders

The construct of resilience has become increasingly important given workplace trends in high pressure, frequent change and uncertainty. Leaders have a multi‐faceted role in resilience‐building within organisations. They need to personally invest in the resources that build their own resilience in order to both mitigate against personal burnout and overtly demonstrate resilience to followers. At the same time they need to foster resilience in the teams they lead. Emerging priorities for leaders are explored through the framework of the Resilience at Work Individual Scale, including the need for alignment of personal role modeling with current levels of team functioning. To date, most focus on resilience has been at the individual level, both for leaders and employees. The concept of team resilience is new and emerging, as is the leaders role in developing this. Principles for creating resilient team cultures and leader responsibilities within this are explored through the Resilience at Work Team Scale. The components of this scale are related to common demands experienced by teams postpandemic. Furthermore, the inter‐relationship between employee resilience and the creation of resilient organisations is discussed and identified as an area for future research.

Strategy-induced organisational resilience through dynamic resource orchestration

Dynamic Capabilities View (DCV) has an illustrious history of shaping strategic management thinking. However, with the increased frequency of systemic disruption episodes, alternative postulations emerge that promise a more robust explanation for organisational sustainability. The Dynamic Resource Orchestration View (DROV) is the latest evolution in theory development, extending the Dynamic Resource-Based View (DRBV). As a framework, it elevates leadership strategy as a superordinate resource, with dynamic resource orchestration, rather than resource base, as the differentiating factor that sets resilient organisations apart in systemic disruptions. The present study utilised the lenses of DROV to mine the perspectives of 13 Kenyan ex-bankers on dynamic resource orchestration at the intersection of strategy-induced organisational resilience. The results provided empirical validation of the robustness of DROV in explaining strategy-induced organisational resilience, with dynamic resource orchestration as a source of differentiation for sustainable competitive advantage (SCA). The study has effectively contributed to strategic management scholarship by underscoring the critical role of leadership strategy, decisions and actions in the organisational resilience– SCA equation. It has also highlighted the attributes that characterise high-resilience organisations (prospering or capitalising organisations), moderate-resilience organisations (surviving organisations) and low-resilience organisations (struggling organisations). A conceptual illustration for deepening research on the novelty, dimensionality and utility of DROV is provided

Role of Spiritual Leadership as a Catalyst in Building Resilient Organizations

Organisations today need to be resilient in order to thrive in an environment of constant disruption and uncertainty. A spiritually-based leadership can provide the building blocks for creating resilient organisations. The study elaborates on spiritual leadership and provides a tool kit for organisations to build resilience in their organisations by leveraging spiritual leadership. The study traces the evolution of leadership from the historic Great Man Theory to contemporary theories like Servant Leadership and Spiritual Leadership, putting into context the current organisational realities .The data for the study was collected through surveys involving 386 respondents across 25 organisations based in the cities of Mumbai and Pune, India.This data was collected over approximately one year .The data was analysed using SPSS and various statistical methods. Hypothesis drawn were tested using Carl Pearson's Coefficient of Correlation, One way Annova, Independent Sample t test. The data collected from surveys also underwent Thematic Analysis using Braun and Clark's (2006) methodology to build Four themes which were used to propose a resilience framework .

Challenges and Opportunities of Building Resilient MSMEs in Zambia

This research paper addresses the challenges and opportunities in building resilient Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Zambia. The paper also examines the different forms of resilience and there implications on organisational resilience. The findings indicates that challenges encountered by MSMEs in building resilient business organisations can be addressed in different ways including through the development and implementation of monitoring and response capabilities, learning abilities and anticipation. The research study relied on secondary data sources and was able to conclude that building resilient MSMEs was vital for the survival of these business organisations.

Efficiency vs resilience: The rise and fall of the German brown shrimp fishery in times of COVID 19

In times of world crisis such as climate change and the COVID pandemic much has been said about the need for resilience. However, in scenarios of less concern about crisis the leading paradigm is often that of efficiency. The current study shows how efficiency might have got on the way of achieving the necessary resilience to face the COVID 19. With the example of the German brown shrimp fishery in the North Sea the interaction between those two paradigms – efficiency and resilience – is shown in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic. For instance, the quest of efficiency for rationalisation may reduce the resources available to set aside buffers to resist shocks, and the standardisation key to efficiency may also hinder more diversity and hence open innovation for solutions to the crisis, all characteristics of resilient organisations. By making use of a literature review including peer reviewed, grey literature and web media as well as of interviews with experts and quantitative data the value chain of the German brown shrimp fishery is analysed under the conceptual framework of organisational resilience. Resultsshow that, despite being more oriented towards efficiency, the German fleets does not show particularly good results in selected efficiency indicators. Additionally, key stages of the value chain as processing and commercialisation together with the investment strategy fail to present some commonly accepted components of resilient organisations, such as redundancy, flexibility, adaptability, diversity, prudence and embeddedness. Despite developments in the direction of sustainability with the MSC certification, the German fleet should pay attention to its capacity to face disturbances, which should be supported by a more long-term, targeted, resilience-oriented policy support.

Germany should reflect on its rich theoretical tradition

Germany should reflect on its rich theoretical tradition

Strategizing Human Resource Development: For Building Agile, Resilient Organisations

The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing crises are not only huge and unpredictable, but also multifaceted and far-reaching. To steer their organisations through the most turbulent time of human history, managers should develop their human resources strategically. However, the human resource literatures aligning human resource development (HRD) with strategic contexts have dated back hardly half-a-century. On the basis of the past literature, this paper aims at investigating how to strategize the HRD management in order for building an agile, resilient organisation that can sustain in both normal and crisis times. It infers that organisations should keep the imperative value of human resources and talents in perspective while managing their organisations, and it leads them to recognise that human resources should be developed by enshrining the strategic elements or factors with HRD. It essentially lies in strategizing their HRD management: there are seven ways of doing so.

Agriculture supply chain risks and COVID-19: mitigation strategies and implications for the practitioners

ABSTRACT The agricultural supply chains (ASCs) are exposed to unprecedented risks following COVID-19. It is necessary to investigate the impact of risks and to create resilient ASC organisations. In this study, we have identified and assessed the ASC risks caused by disruptions. These threats were assessed using Fuzzy Linguistic Quantifier Order Weighted Aggregation (FLQ-OWA). The findings reveal that supply risks, demand risks, financial risks, logistics and infrastructure risks, management and operational, policy and regulation, and biological and environmental risks have a significant impact in ASC depending upon the organisations scope and scale. Various strategies such as adoption of industry 4.0 technologies, supply chain collaboration and shared responsibility is identified for sustainable future. Theoretical and managerial implications are provided based on the outcomes of the study.

An integrated framework for municipal capital investment planning

Resilient and sustainable municipal organisations develop long-term capital investment plans to balance capital investment needs with organisational financial capacity in the most optimum way to ensure services are provided at the acceptable level of service. Currently, capital investment planning frameworks and methodologies exist to develop the capital investment plans, but these lack a service-centric and integrated approach to identify, coordinate, prioritise and plan capital investment needs – capital projects. The development of a service-centric and integrated framework for municipal capital investment planning will address these issues. A three-step methodology is used to develop the framework, including; desktop discovery, field discovery and framework development. The paper discusses the development of the capital investment planning framework comprised of three main components; identify, coordinate and plan and manage capital projects. The paper further explains the implementation challenges and their solutions.

Sense of Coherence, Compassionate Love and Coping in International Leaders during the Transition into the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Contemporary workplaces are influenced by rapid changes, high levels of competition, increasing complexities and internationalisation processes. At the edge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), insecurities and anxieties are high, and leaders are encouraged more than ever to lead employees with meaningful vision and prudence in order to make use of employees’ strengths, and ensure mental health and well-being. The aim of this article is to present new insights into salutogenesis, particularly sense of coherence (SOC), compassionate love (CL), and coping (C) in leaders with different cultural backgrounds. This study strengthens the idea that CL is a coping mechanism. This coping mechanism can be used by leaders to establish a resilient and salutogenic organisations. This article explores the subjective perspectives of 22 international leaders from five different countries and their views regarding SOC, CL and C through a qualitative research approach, using a qualitative online questionnaire for data collection and content analysis for data analysis. The findings on the perspectives of leaders provide new and original insights into how SOC, CL and C are connected, and how these concepts contribute to healthy organisations which are on their way to the transition into the 4IR. Conclusions are drawn. Recommendations for future research and practice are given.

Be water my friend: Building a liquid destination through collaborative networks

Resilient tourism organisations and destinations can adapt and prosper in changing environments. Social networking and community engagement contribute to self-organisation, a typical element of resilient systems. In this context, the present work aims at assessing the role of two of the main factors that contribute to the development of resilience in tourism organisations: their preparedness to crisis, and their participation in the destination's crisis management plans. To this end, quantitative data was collected through a survey with 72 hotel managers in Galicia, Spain, a region that is frequently afflicted by natural disasters, namely forest fires and oil spills. A logistic regression model has shown that planning to change and broadening participation increase organisations' ability to capitalise on opportunities that arise in an uncertainty situation. Therefore, in times of unpredictability, more flexible organisations are better able to adapt and transform themselves in response to internal and external changes.

Five steps to organisational resilience: Being adaptive and flexible during both normal operations and times of disruption

This paper outlines the importance of organisational resilience and the need for businesses to take a dynamic, innovative and proactive approach in managing risks to their reputation, operations, financial position and viability. It proposes a way of thinking about resilience that entails more than simply returning to the status quo ante following a disruption. Risks and disruptions should be seen as opportunities to adapt and evolve in the face of hyperconnected networks, advanced cyber threats, highly competitive environments and changing customer expectations. The advent of social media has upped the tempo for organisations, and future technological trends include automation, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and more targeted and innovative cyber attacks. Resilient organisations must increase collaboration and cooperation, both vertically and horizontally, internally and externally. To prepare for and respond to likely disruptions, C-suites must integrate more closely with production and systems. This paper proposes steps that organisations can take to improve their organisational resilience, which will have benefits both for normal operational activities, and when responding in a crisis.