Crisis Management and HR: Analyze the role of HR in managing organizational crises,

such as the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, climate change and examine the

strategies employed to ensure business continuity and employee well-being. (Camellia

Bogle)

Each person will be required to do a comprehensive presentation/discussion on the topic

selected/assigned. Each presentation must reflect literature used to support the

presentation/discussion – at least 8 pieces of literature to be reflected (not including the

text). The presentation document is to be submitted after the class presentation is

completed.

Each week, as indicated, there will be a presentation by a minimum of five persons

presenting.

INDIVIDUALS MUST:

1. Develop a power point presentation to facilitate learning of the topic selected. Ensure the

appropriate PowerPoint guidelines are adhered to in terms of slides and presentation to

include, not reading the slides, use of fonts and font size and any other requirements as

recommended in the literature.

2. Explain and discuss the critical topics that are associated with the main topic selected, and

reflect their impact on the organization in relation to Strategic Human Resource

Management

3. Highlight the implications for the HR practitioner in the organization in addressing the

issue selected, and ensuring that the organization remains effective and efficient in its

operation.

4. Provide examples to support responses given.

DEFINITION OF CRISIS

As stated in
 A crisis is defined as any partial or total disruption of a business’ key operations as a result of
damage of property or equipment, harm to people, destroyed relationships, environmental
destruction or stakeholder negative perception and influence among other factors [6]. The
Human Resource Management Association [7] defines it as “a low probability, high-impact
occurrence that is often unexpected and unfamiliar, occasioned by organizational structures,
people, technology, economics, natural disasters among others.” Consequently, this may affect
the business’s performance, reputation, and employee productivity resulting in disastrous
impact on the business.

ROLE OF HR IN MANAGING CRISIS

 There are various aspects of the organization for which HR leaders take responsibility. Identifying
potential threats, training employees on risk management, drafting a business continuity plan,
assessing the impact of the crisis, and conducting practical lessons in crisis management. There
are many different types of crises such as natural disasters (earthquakes, floods), infrastructure
and network failures, incidents which cause damage to a company’s properties, death or injuries
to the employees, lawsuits, or legal actions against the organization. Depending on its severity,
every one of them can pose a serious threat to the normal functioning of an organization.
Almost all of them require the precise intervention of HR teams, to see that the apple cart stays
balanced. HR’s role in crisis management is broad and the extent of HR’s involvement depends
upon the nature of a given crisis.
 HR has been vested the role of crisis management within the organization to ensure that
employees are well prepared and that they can survive and recover following unfortunate
events. The HR has a duty to ensure that staff are included in all business continuity and crisis
management plans.
 having a HR crisis plan prevents the loss of key staff and thus preserves an organization’s
knowledge hub. When crises occur, there is a risk of losing staff due to injury or the need to
move to other organizations that focus on employee welfare. By developing a HR crisis plan, an
organization ensures that it protects its human resources and hence promotes continuity of the
business. The second factor is that a HR crisis plan reduces high turnover and absenteeism in the
event of a crisis. third factor is that failure to pay attention to employees also leads to low
morale and motivation, such that employees do not perform to their best ability [6]. A fourth
consideration in promoting crisis management is that crises may result in an increased in health
benefits costs, which would cost the company significantly. HR crisis management is that it helps
employees to handle emergencies better, such that losses and injuries are minimized [6]. This
makes it easier for the organization to recover from the crisis as compared to where there is no
crisis management plan.
 As stated in Abdullah, Mahmood & Rayalwar, Arvind & Almaqashi, Saleem & Al-Maqashi,
Mahmood. (2022). THE ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN ORGANISATIONAL
CRISIS MANAGEMENT. 06. “The planning and arranging of crisis management upgrades the
organization's capacity to manage crisis and guarantees an expedient recuperation when the
 association faces a crisis. “ the journal also states, “employees are considered key stakeholders in
the crisis management process, and therefore human resources must be proactive in this
process, and organizations that allow human resource management to interfere in resolving any
crisis are more successful.”
 HR undertakes key roles in crisis management from the pre-crisis to the post-crisis stages. The
HR’s role is to protect the welfare of employees while at the same time ensuring that they
contribute to the organization’s sustainability, through doing their part in times of disaster. The
role of the HR is to ensure that staff are adequately prepared for crises through training,
effective leadership and empowerment, ensuring that security and safety initiatives are taken to
protect employees in the event of a crisis and developing communication plans necessary in
promoting crisis management. Before a crisis HR is responsible for:
o Crisis Management Planning
o Training and Talent Development
o Vulnerabilities and Threats Communication
o Promoting Employee Involvment
o Employee Motivation
o Influencing Organizational Culture
o Small scale crisis plan
o

 HR’s role requirements during a crisis include ensuring the smooth handling of all the following
aspects of an organization’s operations:
o Communication and employee relation
 When dealing with a crisis, communication is the key. An efficient crisis
management strategy formulated by the organization should reassure
employees that the situation will get back to normal soon. This will help to offer
them some peace of mind. Human Resource professionals often act as channels
of internal communication during a crisis. So, it is imperative on the part of
Human Resource professionals to establish clear lines of communication
between the employees and the management. They are also responsible for
ensuring that the company’s intranet sites are updated with all the relevant and
appropriate information such as HR policies and procedures for crisis
management. Also, such intranet sites should be updated with all the
employees’ contact lists (with the required role-based accesses and controls)
and useful company announcements.
o Policy and process management
 Human Resources professionals are also expected to create and maintain
policies governing employee conduct and organizational procedures in
coordination with their senior management. These would be a part of their
repository of crisis management plans and procedures. Every crisis is unique in
its own way, so it requires the company’s policies and procedures to be modified
depending upon the demands of the situation. For instance, COVID-19 has
prompted every organization to opt for a work-from-home model and has kept
entire workforces locked down within the four walls of their homes.
 o Employee service and benefit program
 Employees should have access to comprehensive services and benefit programs
offered by the organization for effective crisis management. For example,
Employee Assistance Programs can be used to connect employees with
healthcare providers to ensure better mental and physical health employees
during a crisis. It is imperative that the necessary health benefits are made
accessible to the employees. Employees need to receive immediate medical
help in case of any medical emergencies. This would enable a faster recovery so
that they can return to work with good health, renewed vigor, and enthusiasm.
o Talent and succession planning
 Some employees may not be available or able to perform adequately at their
jobs during a crisis. In such cases, HR teams typically take up the responsibility
for identifying the key characteristics of such members of a team to provide
them with the necessary substitutes. It is important to identify the specific
issues, health problems, or physical injuries faced by employees in a crisis so
that appropriate support can be extended immediately. It will also ensure that
the work isn’t hampered.
o Enabling quick decision making
 human resources professionals need to predict the possible outcomes and act
decisively. Although certain exigencies cannot be predicted, it is wise to be
vigilant and act quickly and responsibly during a crisis.
o Leveraging technology
 HR can identify what and how technology can be used before or during the crisis
to harness its full potential for bridging the communication gap.
 the quality of organizations’ human resource management systems were critical to
organizational responses to managing natural disasters.
 HR practices to be well aligned to organizational needs to create a supportive (commitment)
environment for employees in order to navigate the crisis.
 HR practices that were effective in creating supportive work environments
 For example, Suder et al. (Citation2019) found that adapting HR practices and interventions to
suit hostile environments, together with the willingness of expatriates to share and learn new
knowledge, led to the creation, capturing and leveraging of new knowledge by the organization
in other hostile environments.
 While many organizations are forced to adopt hard approaches in the short-term, others benefit
from soft approaches over the long-term as they prepare for life after the crisis.
 In their systematic review, Ererdi et al. (Citation2021) highlighted the use of both soft and hard
approaches by organizations in the management of their human resources during times of
economic crisis. Whilst some studies highlighted the importance of adopting soft HRM practices
(e.g. investing in training and development, knowledge and information sharing, mentoring and
coaching) during crises to get out of the other side unscathed (e.g. Marchington & Kynighou,
Citation2012; Nijssen & Paauwe, Citation2012), the overwhelming majority of studies
highlighted organizations’ use of hard HRM practices (e.g. laying off-employees, pay cuts/freezes,
recruitment freezes, reducing training and development expenditure) to navigate crises
effectively (Chu & Siu, Citation2001; Datta & Basuil, Citation2015; Gunnigle et al., Citation2013;
 McDonnell & Burgess, Citation2013; Shen & D’Netto, Citation2012; Teague & Roche,
Citation2014; Tsao et al., Citation2016; Yu & Park, Citation2006; Zagelmeyer et al., Citation2012).
 the need for HR managers to navigate crisis situations by providing timely, up to date
information for employees. Second, it highlights the need for organizations in crisis situations to
strengthen the contact between employees and direct supervisors to improve horizontal
information flows.

Example

 For example, Kim et al. (Citation2013) explored whether and how Korean firms changed
their HRM systems as a result of the Asian Financial Crisis. They found that over half of
firms changed their HRM systems, and that the most dominant pattern of change was
from a control-based HRM system to a high-performance HRM system.

COVID 19

 manage mass layoff

 obtain support from government schemes due to government imposed lockdowns
which changed behaviour for the tourism and hospitality sectors
 This further supports the findings by Adikaram et al. (Citation2021) that the bundles of
HR practices used to effectively navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic was
dependant on industry and organization, suggesting the importance of contextualising
HR practices relevant and applicable to the organization/industry in times of crisis.
 Post the COVID-19 pandemic, as countries have come out of lockdown and removed
health regulations, HR professionals have had to manage the rapid recruitment of
replacement employees in such sectors, as demand for services have increased
 witnessed the phenomenon referred to as the ‘great resignation’ where an increasing
proportion of employees are re-evaluating their career options and deciding to change
jobs and even occupations (Fuller & Kerr, Citation2022; Newman et al., Citation2022).
 HR professionals had to facilitate employees’ transition to new ways of working as across
many sectors of the economy organizations required employees to work from home
because of government-imposed lockdowns and health regulations (Carnevale & Hatak,
Citation2020)
 HR professionals had to support employees to work effectively at home through the
provision of technology, assist employees with care responsibilities to manage work-life
demands (such as having to work whilst home-schooling their children) and help
employees that live alone to deal with the loneliness and boredom that resulted from
working from home (Carnevale & Hatak, Citation2020).
 HR professionals have had to manage employees’ return to work across many industries
where employers require it, and manage the demands by some employees for
continuing flexibility in their work arrangements (Clayton & Hoyle, Citation2020; Collings
et al., Citation2021).
  HR professionals were required to maintain currency of public health orders and
government mandates, while interpreting the consequences for the organization and
mitigating any associated risks
 HR professionals have had to manage employees’ compliance with health regulations,
especially regarding the use of personal protective equipment and vaccination
requirements (Collings et al., Citation2021; Zacher & Rudolph, Citation2022). In certain
sectors such as healthcare and education
 Chang et al. (Citation2022) found that employees from organizations who use more
commitment HRM practices before the pandemic experienced fewer threat appraisals
and as such were more committed to the organization.
 Contrary to popular belief, Chung (Citation2022) found that the use of variable work
schedules by organizations actually predicted higher levels of employee turnover and
lower levels of financial performance among hospitality employees. In hospitality,
variable work schedules were required to ensure employees remained employed and
also to manage the variability of the changed working circumstances.

o impact on the organization in relation to Strategic Human Resource
Management

NATURAL DISASTERS

 They found it was important to include HR Directors as part of the crisis management team. In
addition, Opdyke et al. (Citation2017) found that it was important for non-governmental and
governmental organizations to coordinate their human resources in response to natural
disasters.

 impact on the organization in relation to Strategic Human Resource Management

CLIMATE CHANGE

 impact on the organization in relation to Strategic Human Resource Management

STRATEGIES EMPLOYED TO ENSURE BUSINESS CONTINUITY AND EMPLOYEE WELL BEING

 As stated in Athamneh, S. (2018). HR Planning for Crisis Management “ Business

continuity comprises of activities aimed at ensuring that business operations continue
like before the crisis occurred. The goal is to ensure that the organization can resume its
original position as fast as possible and thus enhance continuation of normal business
processes”
 This is an important aspect of the training process because it provides staff with
information on continuity planning, such that it becomes easier for the organization to
recover. Business continuity planning may cover aspects such as technology innovation
to prevent loss and recovery of data, effective communication to promote normalization
of organizational activities after the disaster, and to maintain good relationships with
stakeholders. When staff are well trained on organization’s business continuity plan, they
are better placed to help in the recovery process after a disaster as opposed to where
they do not have adequate knowledge and therefore do not adopt strategies necessary
to promote effective business continuity planning.
 When it comes to business continuity planning, HR leaders play a unique role. They
offer data and insights on the most important component of any organization: its
people. This positions HR as a critical player and integral resource in maintaining or
restarting business operations after a critical event.
 They also found that employees who experienced an increase in resources during the
study, experienced less of a decline in well-being, productivity and engagement, than
those who did not
 HR managers to support employees to build personal resources and access
organizational resources to cope with the challenges they may experience during the
crisis period.
 HR enforce and support a work family relationship between leaders, supervisors and
employees who work remotely in a crisis by providing the necessary resources.
 promoting training and encouraging those in leadership positions to develop a family-
friendly approach to leadership that helps remote workers manage their competing
demands, the organization will become more family-friendly and a healthier workplace
 multiple personal resources (self-goal setting, self-efficacy, home-office experience),
external resources (equipment at home), and organizational resources (work-related and
social) in supporting employees’ well-being, productivity and engagement.
 the need for HR managers to support employees to build personal resources and access
organizational resources to cope with the challenges they may experience during the
crisis period. Straus et al. (Citation2022) argue that HR practices may be adopted to help
employees build self-efficacy (through coaching etc) and obtain social support.
 HR managers should seek to invest in team building exercises
 Drive Communication
 Guide Workforce decisions
 Identify Labour Supply Chain Limitations
 Establish and communicate clear guidelines for remote work and the provision of
resources
  Empower supervisors and top management to lead with confidence
 Ensure leadership continuity
 Secure sensitive and critical documents
 Lead workplace re-entry planning
 Policies in place flexi work arrangements
 As stated in Jado, Khaled & Hanandeh, Rami. (2022). THE IMPACT OF HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ON BUSINESS CONTINUITY IN THE DEVELOPED GLOBAL
MARKETS (MILES). 8. 9-20. “it was noted that the failure of many companies in light of
 the modern business environment is due to the lack of sustainability of their business,
which shows the importance of human resources management in business continuity
which falls under risk assessment which is highlighted in the model below.


 HR professionals were also required to balance this with an amplified focus on
employee mental health and well-being (Ripamonti et al., Citation2020),
employee psychological and physical safety (Kulik, Citation2022), supporting
where they can, employees working in environments that were not always
condusive to productive work.


HIGHLIGHT THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE HR PRACTITIONER IN THE ORGANIZATION IN

ADDRESSING THE ISSUE SELECTED, AND ENSURING THAT THE ORGANIZATION REMAINS
EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT IN ITS OPERATION.

 Therefore, the role of the HR professional is crucial in supporting organizations to

manage through crises. Branicki et al. (Citation2022) examined the role of HR
managers in shaping organizational responses to societal paradox - i.e. whether
to focus on protecting lives or the economy. They found that HR managers play a
critical role in shaping whether organizational responses ‘replicate’ the initial
societal paradox, or ‘magnify’ existing latent paradoxical tensions in the
organization. Aitken-Fox et al. (Citation2022) found that HR professionals
generally responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with agility and flexibility,
through extensive trial and error, with varying degrees of success, and had not
simply activated a predetermined continuity plan
CONCLUSION

The HR in any organization must move from the traditional roles and embrace more
contemporary aspects of HR including participation in crisis management. This will ensure that
employees are better prepared to handle crises and also promote the employee retention in the
organization. There are various aspects of planning and training that the HR can participate in
and take control of in the organization. These include identification of potential threats within
the organization, developing departmental crisis management plan, participation in the
development of the organizational crisis management plan, training employees on threat and
risk management, business continuity planning, crisis impact assessment, and practical lessons
in handling crises when they occur. Through HR participation in planning and training,
performance of organizations can be enhanced, thus promoting the bottom-line and ability to
deal with future crises.
 REFERENCES
Abdullah, Mahmood & Rayalwar, Arvind & Almaqashi, Saleem & Al-Maqashi, Mahmood. (2022).
THE ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN ORGANISATIONAL CRISIS MANAGEMENT.
06.

Athamneh, S. (2018). HR Planning for Crisis Management.

Hamouche S. Human resource management and the COVID-19 crisis: implications, challenges,
opportunities, and future organizational directions. Journal of Management & Organization.
2021 Apr 19:1–16. doi: 10.1017/jmo.2021.15. PMCID: PMC8111198.

Jado, Khaled & Hanandeh, Rami. (2022). THE IMPACT OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
STRATEGIES ON BUSINESS CONTINUITY IN THE DEVELOPED GLOBAL MARKETS (MILES). 8. 9-20.

The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Human resource management in

times of crisis: what have we learnt from the recent pandemic?
Alexander Newman,Justine Ferrer,Maike Andresen &Yucheng Zhang, Pages 2857-2875 |
Published online: 28 Jun 2023