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Despite the increasing dependence on teams, there has been little research on crisis management in organizational teams in the corporate sector. In this study which is based on quantitative and qualitative analyses of 30 crisis cases, the prevalent types of crises were identified and effective strategies used for team crisis coping were explored. The results showed that 90% of team level crises were caused by external or environmental factors rather than internal disturbances. Reflecting the dominant cause of crisis events, the effectiveness of crisis management was strongly affected by teams' external activities. Suggestions based on the results are made for managing contemporary organizational teams operating in highly competitive, uncertain, and threatening environments.
Keywords: team crisis, organizational teams, external environment, external activities, crisis management.
The contemporary organizational environment is often described as more hostile, uncertain, changeable, and complex than it has been in the past (Cascio, 2003). The complexity and the unpredictability of current business environments are liable to induce numerous crisis events for organizations and their subunits (Choi & Kim, 1999; Lampel, Shamsie, & Shapira, 2009; Moynihan, 2009; Snow, MUes, & Coleman, 1992). In fact, in recent years, crises have become a regular or even normal event for most organizations (Ashby & Diacon, 2000; Perrow, 1984). Thus, it is appropriate that managerial concern should focus not only on whether a crisis wiU happen but also on when and how it wiU occur (Guth, 1995; Weick, 1988). Knowing the types and causes of crises and the potential damage that can ensue may become essential for effective crisis coping in organizations and their subunits (Drach-Zahavy & Freund, 2007; Mitroff, Shrivastava, & Udwadia, 1987; Moynihan, 2009).
Although a number of studies have been carried out concerning crises at individual and organizational levels (e.g., AUen & CaiUouet, 1994; Duhe & Zoch, 1995; Guth, 1995; Kaufmann, Kesner, & Hazen, 1994; Kim & Choi, 2010; Lalonde, 2007; Lampel et al., 2009; MaUozzi, 1994; Paraskevas, 2006; Taylor, Buunk, & AspinwaU, 1990; Weick, 1988), team level crisis management (e.g., Janis, 1982; Smith, 2000) has been addressed in only a few studies. Researchers have conducted laboratory experiments in order to understand a group's responses to stressful situations (e.g., groupthink; for a review see Aldag & FuUer, 1993), and some scholars have examined crisis...