| dc.description.abstract | Crises are a phenomenon capable of shattering the social world and destroying the physical one.
Organisational crises include explosions, product recalls, cyber-attacks, and more recently the rapid
spread of the novel coronavirus – Covid 19. A Crisis Management Team (CMT), typically chosen from
top management, performs a command and control role, and manages such crises on behalf of their
organisation. CMTs must learn from their crisis experience and the crisis experiences of other
organisations, to help combat inherent vulnerabilities and weakness in their organisations, and mitigate
against future crises. Crisis management simulation exercises (CMSE) can assist the CMTs with this
learning challenge.
The research aim of this research study is to increase understanding of the role of Crisis Management
Simulation Exercises (CMSE) in influencing Crisis Management Team (CMT) performance. Crisis
theorists and practitioners have highlighted the need for more detailed empirical accounts regarding the
learning developed by CMTs during CMSEs. They have also called for a better understanding of how
learnings gained in hindsight, can assist with developing the foresight required to combat future crises.
As a result, these two underdeveloped areas in the relevant literature help to focus the research study in
terms of the learning and foresight developed by the CMTs, and achieve the research aim. Nine CMTs
that had engaged in full-scale, high-fidelity CMSEs were selected for the research study. A detailed
case study was developed for each CMT comprising a descriptive account of their performance in a
bespoke CMSE. An Initial Crisis Management Simulation Exercise Research Model (ICMSERM) was
used to ensure continuity between the descriptive accounts. The descriptive accounts were analysed,
and the findings were discussed in terms of the learning and foresight developed by the CMTs.
The findings from the research analysis in terms of the learning developed by the CMTs revealed that
CMTs must maintain a good relationship with their Crisis Communications Teams (CCT), their
Resilience Teams, and between their Resilience Teams and Risk Management Teams. The CMTs must
ensure they employ strategic thinking during crises, and ensure emergent crisis response strategies are
generated and appropriately coordinated during a crisis event. In addition, various educational learning
models helped demonstrate how the CMTs developed experiential and reflective learning during the
CMSEs. It was also evidenced that that CMTs incrementally learn by engaging in an increasing number
of CMSEs over time. The findings from the research analysis in terms of the foresight developed by
the CMTs revealed that the common themes of learnings developed by the CMTs could be grouped
together for ease of discussion as: Governance; Planning; Risk; Command and Control; Decision-Making; Communications; Information; Opportunities; Psychology; and Strategy. These were termed
‘foresight factors’, as they were gained in hindsight, however, could be used with foresight, to influence
the successful conduct of crisis management, and were broad areas that encompassed potential
vulnerabilities and weakness in an organisation. It was also proposed that these foresight factors be
used as the basis of an evaluation criteria for future CMSEs. In addition, the findings from the research
analysis also demonstrated how CMT values, beliefs and assumptions influence the learning and
foresight developed by CMTs during their engagement in CMSEs.
Finally, the researcher modified the ICMSERM using some of the findings from the research analysis,
and put forward a Final Crisis Management Simulation Exercise Research Model (FCMSERM). The
researcher believes the FCMSERM could be used to design and deliver future CMSEs. Such CMSEs
would help the CMTs understand how to benefit from crises in terms of developing learning, and
developing foresight, and help CMTs to build a genuine learning culture in their organisations, and
therefore, help prevent recurring crises, and mitigate and prepare for future crises. | en |
