Strategic Human Resource Development in Organisational Crisis Management: Insights from the Malaysian Food and Beverage Industry

Abstract

In today’s interconnected, high-speed global environment, organizations of all sizes are increasingly vulnerable to crises that threaten their stability and success. Crisis management has the potential to drive organizational transformation; however, inadequate understanding of crisis procedures can compromise resilience and survival. This study explores the strategic role of Human Resource (HR) functions in crisis management within Malaysia’s food and beverage sector. Adopting a qualitative case study approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen decision-makers across ten organizations involved in crisis response. Employing Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) and NVivo software, we identified key HR contributions to crisis navigation, including challenges of inconsistent information, rapid decision-making demands, and the need for strong human resource management (HRM) practices. The findings underscore how integrating HR strategies within crisis management frameworks enhances organizational resilience and mitigates risk. This research enriches data-driven management by showing how qualitative insights from HR can elevate crisis preparedness and response.