Perceptions of strategic decision-making by crisis management teams during exercising: establishing key dimensions

To survive and thrive in a crisis requires crisis management teams (CMTs) to make sound strategic decisions. This paper examines the perceptions of CMTs from a group of nonresponse organisations to identify dimensions of the strategic decision-making process during a crisis management exercise. The paper draws on data collected during a series of exercises with seven Australian government agencies and businesses. Using principal component analysis, this paper outlines four dimensions that are perceived to support strategic decision-making in this context-psychological safety, critical thinking, managing expectations and adaptive capability. Embedding these dimensions within key systems and processes can provide CMTs with the structure they need to effectively respond to a crisis and enhance organisational resilience.