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Coping with COVID-19 – Which Resilience Mechanisms Enabled Austrian Nonprofit Organizations to Weather the Pandemic Storm?

Author

Listed:
  • Sandra Stötzer

    (Johannes Kepler University Linz)

  • Katharina Kaltenbrunner

    (Paris Lodron University Salzburg)

  • Birgit Grüb

    (Johannes Kepler University Linz)

  • Sebastian Martin

    (University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria)

Abstract

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic triggered a global crisis affecting the work and partially the existence of businesses, governments, administrations and nonprofit organizations (NPOs). The latter not only faced severe challenges themselves, but also play(ed) a major role in fighting the pandemic, especially those offering services in social and health care. Maintaining service delivery under pandemic conditions to serve the often vital needs of clients requires (organizational) resilience. This concept generally relates to the ability to withstand adversity, to adapt in a turbulent environment and respond to (disruptive) change. Based on a qualitative content analysis of 33 interviews with nonprofit executives, this paper explores the impact of the pandemic on Austrian NPOs active in health and social care in terms of contextual challenges faced. Our study contributes to (nonprofit) resilience research and extreme context research literature as it illustrates how NPOs coped with this disruptive extreme context. Our findings show which resilience mechanisms (i.e. all kinds of resilient behavior, resources and capabilities) were helpful in overcoming pandemic challenges and getting through these hard times.

Suggested Citation

  • Sandra Stötzer & Katharina Kaltenbrunner & Birgit Grüb & Sebastian Martin, 2022. "Coping with COVID-19 – Which Resilience Mechanisms Enabled Austrian Nonprofit Organizations to Weather the Pandemic Storm?," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 74(4), pages 497-535, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:sjobre:v:74:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s41471-022-00146-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s41471-022-00146-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Meyer Michael & Millner Reinhard & Vandor Peter & Pennerstorfer Astrid, 2021. "Partnership in Times of COVID-19: Government and Civil Society in Austria," Nonprofit Policy Forum, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 65-92, January.
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    3. Nicole S. Hutton & Steven W. Mumford & Marina Saitgalina & Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf & Joshua G. Behr & Rafael Diaz & John J. Kiefer, 2021. "Nonprofit Capacity to Manage Hurricane-Pandemic Threat: Local and National Perspectives on Resilience during COVID-19," International Journal of Public Administration, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(11-12), pages 984-993, September.
    4. Bernhard Fietz & Julia Hillmann & Edeltraud Guenther, 2021. "Cultural Effects on Organizational Resilience: Evidence from the NAFTA Region," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 73(1), pages 5-46, March.
    5. Harris Margaret, 2021. "Familiar Patterns and New Initiatives: UK Civil Society and Government Initial Responses to the Covid-19 Crisis," Nonprofit Policy Forum, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 25-44, January.
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    7. Ralph Kober & Paul J. Thambar, 2021. "Coping with COVID-19: the role of accounting in shaping charities' financial resilience," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 34(6), pages 1416-1429, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tine Buyl & Thomas Gehrig & Jonas Schreyögg & Andreas Wieland, 2022. "Resilience: A Critical Appraisal of the State of Research for Business and Society," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 74(4), pages 453-463, December.

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