Preparing for the worst: the process of effective crisis management

Abstract

This multi-method field study used interview and survey data from 71 top executive key informants and archival data from 35 organizations to explore the process of effective crisis management. The results provided support for a model proposing five activities as key in managing an organizational crisis effectively: problem sensing and diagnosis; decision response; resource mobilization and implementation; internal information flow; and external information flow. In addition, the study identified a set of 57 organizational attributes which were perceived by top managers as advantages and disad vantages for effective crisis management.