Purpose – This study aims to explore how insurance organisations interpret organisational resilience; to identify potential objectives, elements and practices of organisational resilience within insurance organisations; and to investigate the impact of culture on resilience. Design/methodology/approach – An empirical study in the insurance industry in Jordan was undertaken. The population consists of all 28 insurance companies registered at the Amman Stock Exchange. Data were collected via a survey questionnaire followed by three semi-structured interviews. Findings – Results revealed that respondents understand the meaning of organisational resilience differently. Various factors constitute organisational resilience in Jordanian insurance organisations. Nevertheless, some key factors that have the potential to improve organisational resilience were missing. Culture influenced the level of organisational resilience considerably. Practical implications – This study provides insights into the factors that enable organisations to withstand future risks, which, in turn, ensures long-term survival. It also reveals how culture affects the level of organisational resilience. This paper provides a basis for policymakers in Jordan to start actively considering existing resources and cultural trends to introduce new frameworks for improving resilience in the insurance sector. Originality/value – This study is made in the context of an emerging economy; Jordan. It uses quantitative and qualitative research approaches. It is also one of the few studies to discuss resilience in relation to culture and within the insurance sector.

Purpose This study aims to examine the traditional disaster management cycle; discussing the significance of incorporating contemporary management concepts into the disaster management cycle; and proposing a conceptual model that reflects contemporary management insight for the disaster management cycle. Design/methodology/approach A literature review was made to discuss the significance of moving towards a more contemporary view to the disaster management cycle that brings more value to the final outcomes of the disaster management process. A conceptual model was then proposed to reflect a more contemporary view to the disaster management cycle. The current COVID-19 pandemic has also been addressed explicitly throughout the paper as a case that reflects the necessity of embracing contemporary insight and practise in the traditional disaster management cycle. Findings The literature indicates that people worldwide, as well as academics still rely heavily on the traditional disaster management lifecycle to manage disasters and major incidents which consists of four main stages; preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery unrecognizing that each and every disaster is a unique incident itself and that it should be treated differently. Contemporary management thought and insight is still lacking in the study of disaster and emergency management. Practical implications This research offers a contemporary view to the traditional disaster management cycle in which recent concepts of management are used to better cope with the uniqueness of the different major incidents. This view fosters wider involvement of individuals and the general public in the disaster management process and highlights elements of creativity and modernity. The current COVID-19 pandemic, despite the many adverse consequences associated with it, has contributed constructively to the ways the traditional disaster management cycle is being implemented and practised worldwide. Originality/value This research is expected to be of a substantial value for those interested in improving performance during the various stages of the disaster management process, as well as those interested in improving organizational, social and national resilience. The traditional disaster management cycle tends to be procedural and therefore needs to embrace contemporary management thought and more value-based approaches.

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Purpose -This research aims to: identify major risks that have the potential to place Jordanian hotels in crisis or disaster situations; investigate the tools/frameworks adopted by Jordanian hotels to manage crises and disasters; and investigate the cultural factors influencing the wider adoption of crisis and disaster management best practices in Jordanian hotels. Design/methodology/approach -A survey of "five-star" hotels in Jordan was undertaken. Interviewer-administered questionnaire was conducted followed by semi-structured interviews with three General Managers from three hotels of different cultural backgrounds: local; regional; and international. Findings -Results revealed that Jordanian hotels are exposed to a wide range of risks. Jordanian hotels lack effective and comprehensive tools/frameworks for managing crises and disasters. Organizational culture affects the wider adoption of crisis and disaster management best practices within Jordanian hotels. Practical implications -To be successful in promoting crisis and disaster management in hotels and in the tourism industry more generally, the relevant authorities in Jordan, such as the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Jordanian Hotels Association, should demonstrate to hotels in Jordan how significant crisis and disaster management is, so that they can be able to cope with crises and disasters more efficiently. Originality/value -This is the first study investigating crisis and disaster management in Jordanian hotels using quantitative and qualitative approaches. This research will be of value to those interested in crisis and disaster management in the tourism industry.

This article investigates the extent to which Jordanian service organizations seek to establish continuity culture through testing, training, and updating of their business continuity plans. A survey strategy was adopted in this research. Primary and secondary data were used. Semistructured interviews were conducted with five senior managers from five large Jordanian service organizations registered with the Amman Stock Exchange. The selection of organizations was made on the basis of simple random sampling. Interviews targeted the headquarters only in order to obtain a homogenous sample. Three out of five organizations could be regarded as crisis prepared and have better chances for recovery. The other two organizations exhibited characteristics of standard practice that only emphasizes the recovery aspect of business continuity management (BCM), while paying less attention to establishing resilient cultures and embedding BCM. The findings reveal that the ability to recover following major incidents can be improved by embedding BCM in the culture of the organization and by making BCM an enterprise-wide process. This is one of few meticulous studies that have been undertaken in the Middle East and the first in Jordan to investigate the extent to which service organizations focus on embedding BCM in the organizational culture.