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.