Weathering the storm: A case study of organizational culture and effectiveness in times of disruptive jolts and crisis

Abstract

A crisis stems from an unexpected negative change in the environment, threatening the high‐priority values of the organization. As a crisis, the COVID‐19 pandemic jolted businesses worldwide, necessitating an investigation into the aspects of such an unsolicited change in the culture and effectiveness of organizations. With this aim, this research is based on a two‐step explanatory case study of a manufacturing firm. In the first step, to measure the change in the OC, a paired‐sample test was conducted using the Denison organizational culture survey model. Next, a qualitative inquiry was carried out, and the data were analysed through theme analysis. The results show significant changes in all 4 traits, including strategic direction and intent, vision and agreement, explained by the 12 qualitative themes. Ultimately, this study answers the long‐overlooked impact of a jolt, inducing a crisis, on the organizational culture. It sheds light on the importance of clarity of vision, core values and trust during a crisis.