Purpose

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most organizations have experienced a sudden and unprecedented drop in revenue and productivity. However, the pandemic did not exclusively negatively impact organizations; rather, it resulted in both negative and positive effects. To delve into the multi-level process through which organizational outcomes change from negative to positive indicators, this study focuses on organizational resilience as a theoretical concept to overcome pandemic-related turmoil.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a multi-level analysis based on grounded theory with a sample of 30 healthcare employees who worked in hospitals and were simultaneously enrolled in a part-time master of business administration (MBA) program at a university in the Midwest. Of the 30 participants, 21 were from a single university hospital (UH), and the remaining 9 participants were from other hospitals (non-UH).

Findings

The authors analyzed the data and incorporated three existing perspectives of organizational resilience (attribute, process and multi-level views) into an integrated model. The authors identified 25 first-order concepts and 8 second-order themes and categorized them into 4 aggregate dimensions at different unit levels: organizational field, leadership, operation and individual units.

Practical implications

A resilient hospital operates as a cohesive system, with entities at various levels – from individuals and teams to the broader organization – collaborating seamlessly to foster resilience. Top management team (TMT) should persistently communicate with employees to provide information about the current crisis and clear strategic directions to reduce employees' fear and prevent anomie stemming from future uncertainty. Managers should not only be concerned about employees' physical safety from infection and psychological safety from isolation but also encourage employees to elicit meaningfulness from their work. Furthermore, TMT and human resource (HR) teams should adapt human resource management (HRM) practices to allow for flexibility and optimism in employee roles.

Originality/value

In this study, the authors utilized a qualitative methodology with grounded theory in order to develop a comprehensive model that holds theoretical, methodological and practical significance. Theoretically, the authors' novelty lies in the synthesis of three distinct perspectives: attribute, process and multi-level. The authors merged these approaches into a unified model, identifying precursors of resilience at different levels. Methodologically, the authors focused on hospitals as target samples, which were the foremost and representative organizations severely confronting the crisis and turmoil brought by the pandemic. The authors documented organizations' experiences amidst the crisis as they unfolded in real time rather than in hindsight. This approach highlights the immediacy and significance of the authors' research in the realm of crisis management. Practically, the authors' findings illuminate that organizational resilience can be developed through a collaborative effort. It emerges from coordinated interactions across various organizational actors, from employees and middle managers to the TMT.

中文翻译：

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组织复原力：针对 COVID-19 大流行的领导力、运营和个人应对措施

目的

自 COVID-19 大流行爆发以来，大多数组织都经历了收入和生产力突然且前所未有的下降。然而，这种流行病并不仅仅对组织产生负面影响。相反，它产生了消极和积极的影响。为了深入探讨组织结果从负面指标转变为正面指标的多层次过程，本研究重点关注组织复原力作为克服大流行相关动荡的理论概念。

设计/方法论/途径

作者基于扎根理论对 30 名在医院工作并同时在中西部一所大学攻读兼职工商管理硕士 (MBA) 课程的医疗保健员工进行了多层次分析。在 30 名参与者中，21 名来自同一所大学医院（UH），其余 9 名参与者来自其他医院（非 UH）。

发现

作者分析了数据，并将组织复原力的三个现有观点（属性、过程和多层次观点）纳入一个集成模型。作者识别出25个一阶概念和8个二阶主题，并将其分为不同单位层面的4个聚合维度：组织领域、领导力、运营和个体单位。

实际影响

一家有弹性的医院作为一个有凝聚力的系统运作，各个级别的实体（从个人和团队到更广泛的组织）无缝协作以增强弹性。高层管理团队（TMT）应持续与员工沟通，提供有关当前危机的信息和明确的战略方向，以减少员工的恐惧，防止因未来的不确定性而出现失范。管理者不仅应该关心员工免受感染的身体安全和免受隔离的心理安全，还应该鼓励员工从工作中激发出意义。此外，TMT 和人力资源 (HR) 团队应调整人力资源管理 (HRM) 实践，以实现员工角色的灵活性和乐观性。

原创性/价值

在这项研究中，作者利用具有扎根理论的定性方法来开发一个具有理论、方法和实践意义的综合模型。从理论上讲，作者的新颖之处在于综合了三个不同的视角：属性、过程和多层次。作者将这些方法合并成一个统一的模型，确定了不同级别的复原力前兆。在方法论上，作者将医院作为目标样本，它们是严重面对疫情带来的危机和动荡的最重要和最具代表性的组织。作者实时记录了组织在危机中的经历，而不是事后回顾。这种方法凸显了作者在危机管理领域研究的紧迫性和意义。实际上，作者的研究结果表明，组织复原力可以通过协作努力来发展。它源自从员工、中层管理人员到 TMT 等不同组织参与者之间的协调互动。