Evaluating organisational performance during crises: A multi-dimensional framework

Abstract

The results of a literature review indicate the lack of an appropriate framework for evaluating organisational performance (OP) during crisis. A lack of appropriate instruments for use in evaluating OP during crises can limit an organisation's ability to improve itself and thus to mitigate the impact of future problems. Consequently, in this study a literature review and an archival data analysis considering multiple crises were conducted to identify key OP indicators and then develop a multi-dimensional framework for evaluating OP during crises. A case analysis of two energy companies was then carried out to investigate and, subsequently, summarise the relationships between the managerial behaviours related to the indicators identified and OP during crises in eight theoretical propositions. The research findings can be used by organisations as guidelines for developing their own frameworks for evaluating OP during crises, keeping in mind their particular business concerns. Additionally, measurement of OP during crises should be considered a means of challenging assumptions in order to guide and facilitate organisational change for future improvement. As the proposed performance indicators were studied independently, future research that specifically aims to investigate the inter-relationships among these indicators is strongly encouraged.

Keywords:

• crisis management
• organisational performance
• performance measurement

Acknowledgements

The author thanks the companies studied for providing valuable data. The author also thanks the Editor, Associate Editor, and the anonymous reviewers for their valuable feedback on this paper. This study was supported by the Landmark Project of National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan (project number: C0001).