Crisis Preparedness Within Manufacturing Organizations : A study on corporate behavior in the face of crises

Problem: Crisis and crisis preparedness are being increasingly discussed within the business world. Especially now, when the current pandemic triggered maybe the most significant wave of economic downturns the globe is facing ever. Nevertheless, the Manufacturing Industry (MI) was severely impacted due to its dependence on the e.g., supply chain aspect. Therefore, it was interesting to explore how MO’s challenge crisis by investigating how they prepare for a crisis, i.e., crisis preparedness. A review of the topic within the scientific papers shows a lack of knowledge regarding crisis preparedness within MO’s. Purpose: This thesis aimed to increase how MO’s prepare for a crisis and explore what measures (actions) they use to prepare for a crisis. Method: This thesis followed a qualitative research approach (inductive) with a multiple case study design approach. The data were collected by three semi-structured interviews with three major organizations, where all the participants had a long experience with crisis management. Later on, the collected data were analyzed thematically (thematic analysis approach). Empirical findings: The empirical findings showed that organizations need to consider four main aspects when building a solid crisis preparation structure. These aspects consist of: (1) careful understanding of the environment the crisis occurred in, (2) possess extensive experience dealing with a crisis, (3) scenarios practices, (4) strong communication and transparency system, and finally (5) fostering crisis preparedness culture within the organization. All these aspects/skills must be acquired within the crisis management team (CMT). However, the communication aspect stood out more than the other aspects, which indicate the importance of communication within the organization. Contribution: This thesis contributes theoretically by emphasizing the essentiality of the communication aspect and its positive impact on a crisis preparedness process within organizations. Likewise, from a managerial perspective, this thesis suggests that organizations should implement a crisis communication hub, where all departments within an organization possess all necessary tools to help them survive any crisis through an effective communication system.Confidential