Human Resource Management in Crisis Contexts
Summary
Human resource management in crisis contexts addresses the strategies and practices that organisations employ to navigate periods of profound disruption, such as economic recessions, global pandemics, natural disasters and geopolitical instability. Central concerns include workforce planning, talent retention and redeployment, employee health and well-being, and the rapid adoption of digital tools to sustain operations. In these contexts, HR professionals must balance short-term cost containment with long-term strategic agility, often designing flexible work arrangements, reinforcing organisational resilience and fostering inclusive communication channels. Practical applications range from remote-working policies and mental-health initiatives to cross-training programmes and leadership development under uncertainty. By integrating insights from strategic HRM, occupational health, change management and resilience theory, practitioners are better equipped to maintain productivity, safeguard morale and align people practices with evolving organisational imperatives.
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Human Resource Management in Crisis Contexts publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in human resource management in crisis contexts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Downsizing: The intentional reduction of organisational headcount through layoffs or redundancy programmes to cut costs or restructure operations.
Furlough: A temporary leave of absence or reduction in work hours mandated by the employer, often with partial pay support, used to manage labour costs during crises.
Hard HRM strategies: Employment practices focused on quantitative, cost-oriented measures such as performance-based pay, workforce planning and strict budgeting.
Soft HRM strategies: People-centred practices emphasising employee development, well-being, participation and organisational culture to foster commitment and flexibility.
Organisational resilience: The capacity of an organisation to anticipate, absorb, adapt to and recover from disruptive events while maintaining critical functions and structure.
References
- Human resource management in recession: Restructuring and alternatives to downsizing in times of crisis. Human Resource Management Journal (2023).
- COVID-19 oriented HRM strategies influence on job and organizational performance through job-related attitudes. PLOS ONE (2022).
- Researching employee experiences and behavior in times of crisis: Theoretical and methodological considerations and implications for human resource management. German Journal of Human Resource Management (2021).
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