Organizational resilience for disaster management

Abstract

Organizational disaster resilience (ODR) has been a topic of interest in the last few decades. However, very few published literature strive to extend its capability to predict key determinants of ODR. A possible rationale for this for this gap may be due to the conceptualization of the ODR under which organizational perceptions can only be predicted with two constructs: continuity of operations planning (COOP) and operational drivers for vulnerability management (ODVM). The evidence in literature shows that COOP and ODVM constructs are not sufficient; hence, they may not explain ODR. Therefore, there is need for inclusion of additional factors that can enhance predictions of ODR. Extending research on the organizational resilience, this study developed and tested a model of ODR. The proposed model integrates key constructs from the organizational resilience potential research stream into the theoretical frame of the ODR and other theories from organizational resilience, such as the theories of highly reliability organizations, relative overall resilience and adjusted relative overall resilience. According to the proposed conceptual model, ODR is determined by four determinants; COOP, ODVM, strategic drivers for vulnerability management (SDVM) and adaptive capacities for high reliability organizations (ACHRO). This model was tested on a sample of 455 disaster management practitioners and representatives from various industry sectors in Malaysia. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), data analysis shows considerable support for the extended hypothesized model. The result indicates that, ACHRO explained 51% of the variance in ODR. Multi-group analysis on industry sector was carried to demonstrate applicability of this model to various industry sectors. Finally, this study derives linear regression equation from the model and tested it on organizations in Malaysia which had participated in this study.