Leadership In Crisis Management: A Study Based On Total Quality Management Practices

Contents

1. Abstract

In today’s fast-paced business climate, crisis is a more complicated challenges for the leaders. Unpredictable technological developments, economic shifts, human hardships, and political consequences all combine to create uncertainty in today’s business climate. Economic disruptions that culminate in crises are one way in which this instability presents itself beyond the authority of the government. Not only are those who have fled the country affected by the crisis, but so are those who are worried about losing their jobs in any of the other nations across the world. Clearly, businesses are fascinated by the current state of affairs. However, the environment is also a factor in crisis situations. If a crisis isn’t contained or dealt with properly, it will snowball and set off a cascade of crises. An authoritarian leadership style has given way to a more collaborative and participatory one as the country has been rocked by political and economic turbulence. The world of business is becoming more complicated and nuanced. As a result of these enhancements, traditional crisis managers have evolved into a leader model that encourages scenario analysis and teamwork to develop the best possible solution. In order to better understand how to lead in times of crisis, we need to look at leadership from both a leadership and a crisis perspective. Crisis management is often regarded as a technique for evaluating the effects of adverse conditions, regardless of their origin, in an optimum and timely manner. There will be a comparison of the notions of leader and executive in the first section of this article, which will be accompanied with considerable literature on leadership ideas from total quality management principles. Leadership in crisis management will be discussed further in the second half of the paper, and the relevance and contribution to literature of crisis leadership will be examined in the last section.

2. Introduction

As a consequence of recent technological advancements in information, communication, and transportation, distances have been virtually eliminated. All clients throughout the globe have immediate access to goods and services produced in different regions of the world. As a result of severe rivalry among firms, they strive to deliver services that are better in quality and cost-effective while also being faster and more efficient (Pillai et al., 2015). It has been accepted by the rest of the world that Japanese miracles are genuine, and that the management style known as total quality management has become a competitive tool (Rydén et al., 2021).

Total quality, as now emphasized by its perfection, may be defined in several ways, the following being some examples: to achieve total quality, an organization places more emphasis on its processes than its functions or results; it bases management decisions on information and data that has been collected in an appropriate manner; and it takes into account both the material and human resources that are available to an organization in total (Fors Brandebo, 2021). Total quality management is built on the principle of democracy. Each and every member of the organization must be involved in some capacity in the management and decision-making process. Taking into account, appreciating, and maybe rewarding employee recommendations will be a priority. When it comes to total quality management, communication is really essential (Wisittigars & Siengthai, 2019). Employees have a right to open and productive channels of communication with their boss. It is possible for an organization to achieve its objectives if all of its employees are aware of its mission and vision. Efforts will be made to improve this communication by using basic organizational structures, eliminating hierarchy, and implementing open-door policies (Gruber et al., 2015).

3. Total quality and leadership

3.1. The concept and objective of crisis management

Leadership has long been recognized as an important factor in the success of total quality management (total quality management). When studying total quality management, it is vital to first look at the changes and upgrades that take place inside an organization, which is known as the study of organizational models (Zsombok, 2019). Previously, the organization was seen as a machine from a mechanical perspective. Workers were seen as just one of the many parts of a larger machine. When it was created, the biological model came after the mechanical model. The biological perspective views the organization as a living, breathing entity (Buhagiar & Anand, 2021). This is a good place to look for a brain. In the section of tap management, leaders find this brain. A worker is an extension of the body. According to the social model, a company is seen in the same light as a society. One idea and one aim are needed for everyone in society (Purnomo et al., 2021). The management will make an attempt to foster interactions among the employees in order to achieve the main aim. Social models originated in America, but total quality management was successfully implemented by Japanese companies before it was widely adopted elsewhere (Saeedi & Taei, 2021). The past successes and experiences of any business must be used to develop knowledge that can be used to the company’s future success. When this expertise is put to use, managers are expected to take on significant duties. With so much competition, it is necessary to have leaders that can make their companies stand out and succeed in today’s market (Yeo & Jeon, 2021).

During the transition to total quality management, a senior manager’s primary role is to ensure that their workforce understands that quality is a team effort and must come from all levels of the business. Every level of an organization must be supported by the top management in order for quality processes to have a long-term impact on the company’s bottom line (Kapucu & Ustun, 2018).

Setting an example, building an atmosphere for training, organizing, supporting, and promoting quality improvement groups, and participating in quality improvement research in general are the responsibilities of senior management. By keeping their words and actions constant, managers may have a positive impact on their workers (ALHumeisat & ALBashabsheh, 2020).

In the same way that a water flush removes old and unattractive routines and routines, a change in attitude towards quality must be reflected on everyone, from the top management to the lowest level management or worker units (Varma, 2021). The most important thing to keep in mind here is not to skip any levels when communicating the messages of upper management all the way down to the lowest level, and to make sure that managers at the middle and lower levels, in particular, adopt the message of the people whose concerns they are addressing. Using total quality management in a firm needs using the following procedures in a hierarchical order in order to be both sustainable and successful (Alkhawlani et al., 2019).

3.2. Definition of crisis leadership

Leaders are created from inside organizations. Rather than being a reflection of a person’s characteristics, leadership is a function of the interpersonal connections that exist inside a company. As a result, leadership takes on the tasks of group organization, problem solving, and leading, similar to those of a postman or a police officer (R. H. Alzoubi & Jaaffar, 2020). Whether or if someone is a leader is determined by their own attributes. If leaders want to succeed as a leader, leaders need more than simply a strong intellect. To be a leader, one must have more than just a lot of authority. It is not enough for a leader to just have power; they must also be able to put that power to good use (R. H. M. Alzoubi & Jaaffar, 2020a). Management and leadership are not synonymous terms, and an organization need a leader more than it does a manager in times of crisis (Pounder, 2021).

Leadership, on the other hand, lays a focus on creativity, harmony, and adaptation, while management places an emphasis on duplication and stability. The horizon line and the final total line on the profit-loss chart signify the end of a term for a leader. The ultimate sum is all that matters to a manager (R. H. M. Alzoubi & Jaaffar, 2020b). In contrast to a manager’s focus on systems, supervisions, processes, rules, and the structure, a leader’s primary concern is human contact and reliability. When it comes to crisis management, “leadership” is at the top of the list of achievement requirements. One must have the ability to unite and inspire others in order to be regarded an effective leader (Aziz, 2021). Another need for leadership status is the ability to leave a lasting impression on the people around them. Effective leadership requires both excellent conduct and a message that must be conveyed. With their cognitive and intellectual experiences, leaders are able to present an accurate picture of how things could change (R. H. Alzoubi & Jaaffar, 2021). This is the long-term vision of the leaders. In the same way as a leader’s followers follow his or her instructions, so do the followers of a leader themselves (Fener & Cevik, 2015).

During times of crisis, a leader’s genuine character is shown. During a moment of crisis, the rules and laws of the past are no longer relevant. Pessimism and apprehension are prevalent moods. Genuine leaders, on the other hand, are always upbeat because they know exactly what has to be done and how to get there (Mishael Obeidat & ben Hamed Al Thani, 2020). In times of crisis, people tend to radiate a lot of energy because they want to make a difference and want to see their circumstances improve, thus they influence others around them. The usual answers are no longer sufficient in times of crisis. In order to be a true leader, one must disrupt the status quo and make a significant impact (Bhaduri, 2019). Rather than a “duty,” taking up the role of a leader becomes an inevitable responsibility. Effective crisis management also necessitates the inclusion of a strong sense of achievement. One must display all of the attributes connected with good leadership in the specific context if they are to succeed in their role (Fors Brandebo, 2020).

Leaders don’t consider the gap between those who make choices and those who implement them while carrying out organizational operations. They feel that the greatest threat to an organization is not its intellectual ability, but rather the limiting of its members’ abilities (Fors Brandebo, 2020). Crisis states leadership” is a position that requires a leader to prioritize self-improvement, independence, and initiative. They abhor red tape and strive to strike a good work-life balance for themselves and their families. Only when operators accomplish in their aims can the firm succeed in reaching its own, according to leaders. It is a duty, not a need, to hold a leadership role (Mishael Obeidat & ben Hamed Al Thani, 2020). Effective crisis management also necessitates the inclusion of a strong sense of achievement. If leaders want to be taken seriously as a leader, leaders need to be able to do more than merely fulfil the responsibilities. In order for a manager to become a leader, he or she must show courage and be able to face risks in uncommon situations (R. H. Alzoubi & Jaaffar, 2021). People who have accepted that they have no other choice may be empowered by leadership to take action and be the first to speak out against a danger. It may also motivate others to come up with an original solution (Aziz, 2021).

A natural leader arises when confronted with a challenging circumstance that must be controlled. During this time, leadership comes to the fore and illuminates the path ahead, identifies and cultivates sources of funding, leads the course of action, and launches and administers the activities. When there is a crisis, people want leaders who are confident, self-assured, and personable (R. H. M. Alzoubi & Jaaffar, 2020b). Since crisis situations weaken intra-organizational bonds and disrupt the organization’s peak, it is essential to fight the crisis and encourage employees to do the same. When a company is in crisis, it is up to the company’s leaders to get things back on track. They are also in charge of redesigning the business to make it more flexible in light of the ever-changing external conditions (R. H. M. Alzoubi & Jaaffar, 2020a). As a result, we may conclude that a leader’s involvement in crisis management is critical. As a result, it is vital to do study on the characteristics of an effective crisis management leader. As an example of ideal qualities for crisis management leaders, consider the following:

I. Recognizing early warning indicators of an impending tragedy.
II. Protection and preparation in the face of a possible threat
III. Effective and efficient decision-making across the whole crisis management process.
IV. The ability to wield power effectively throughout the crisis management process.
V. The capacity to devise a strategy for dealing with a problem.
VI. It’s the ability to plan and organize many areas of crisis management.
VII. Crisis management requires the ability to maintain open lines of communication.
VIII. The ability to coordinate the whole crisis management process.
IX. The capacity to oversee the crisis management process.
X. Ability to revert to one’s original state.

Source – (Alkhawlani et al., 2019)

3.3. Leader management in crisis management

The term “crisis management” comprises all of the activities that are planned, coordinated, and logically executed in order to eliminate the problem. Step-by-step decisions and the formation of a team to carry out these decisions and take new ones depending on the results of the practice are allowed to begin (ALHumeisat & ALBashabsheh, 2020).

Prior to crisis management, crisis management and post crisis management are the most often used processes in corporations to address crises. Pre-crisis management’s purpose is to detect the warning indications of a crisis and change the negative impacts of the crisis into a positive conclusion (Kapucu & Ustun, 2018). During the first stage of crisis management, which is also known as crisis management during a state of crisis, necessary efforts are taken to prevent a crisis from occurring. During a time of crisis, crisis management is the kind of management that takes place.. After the crisis is over, the post-crisis process may commence. The leaders and managers of the business need to come up with appropriate solutions that can be adapted to changes and that add new aspects to their operations and goals at this point in time (Saeedi & Taei, 2021).

What really matters isn’t how leaders get out of the crisis or how leaders solve the issue; it’s how leaders prevent it from happening in the first place or how leaders turn it into an achievement for the business. In the majority of cases, the elements necessary for a crisis already present. Preventing a crisis is an essential part of modern management strategy (Purnomo et al., 2021). It is also vital to adopt sensible management safeguards in times of crisis that develop due to external and unexpected natural and political economic, technical, and environmental factors, and to effectively employ these measures. In order to keep the organization safe, this is necessary (Zsombok, 2019).

Following is an overview of crisis management components. In order to deal with a crisis, a crisis management team has to be formed, experts need to be hired, and a crisis management plan needs to be developed.” the easiest way to deal with a crisis is to work together as a team to come up with a solution to the problem (Wisittigars & Siengthai, 2019). As a result, crisis management teams must be established in every company. There shouldn’t be too many individuals on the crisis management team, but those that are there should include experts who can be contacted in an emergency. In order to keep the company safe, these teams meet often in order to discuss potential threats and remedies. When forced to work as a team to fight a catastrophe, employees will naturally gravitate toward cooperation (Fors Brandebo, 2021).

The crisis management team is responsible for identifying the appropriate crisis management methods. Members of this crew have been taught to stay on the lookout for potential threats during a crisis. A crisis control centre and an urgent information centre must be established in order to effectively manage the team from a single place (Pillai et al., 2015).

In high-stress situations, it is critical to be able to make quick judgments and put them into action. As a consequence, crisis management necessitates the presence of visionary leaders. Modern day leadership and management require foresight into the future, the creation of a realistic vision and objectives for the future of the firm, and the motivation of employees to strive toward them. With vision and foresight, leaders know their workers’ strengths and weaknesses and may persuade them that they can do better than they have in the past. As a consequence, visionary leaders take action as soon as they detect indicators of a crisis and guide their teams and workers accordingly (Fors Brandebo, 2021).

Crisis management is made more difficult by the fact that some executives would rather follow the rules than deal with the problem. They are unable to make quick decisions in the face of unforeseen events because they desire to have every aspect of their business documented in law. Management of the firm suffers as a result. Leaders and managers must be able to make quick decisions whenever necessary (Wisittigars & Siengthai, 2019).

A company’s attempt to adopt and implement the necessary protections in order to emerge from a crisis state with the least amount of harm feasible is known as crisis management. Five stages are involved in this procedure:

I. Effective management requires the capacity to see the warning signals of imminent crisis in order to gauge the scope and severity of the impending disaster.
II. It is imperative that the organization use early warning system alerts to prepare for emergencies and implement safety measures that will keep it safe in the event of a catastrophe.
III. While early warning, avoidance, and protection strategies may work successfully in certain cases, they may not be able to completely overcome the crisis. As a result, data collected during the crisis’ first two stages is used to track the crisis’ progress.
IV. The organization must return to a stable state as quickly as feasible once the crisis has been addressed and control has been restored.
V. During the stage of learning and assessment, decisions, precautions, and processes put in place during the state of crisis are reviewed, judgments are drawn, and lessons are learned.

Source – (Gruber et al., 2015)

The first step in crisis management is to design a crisis call strategy and a crisis urgent action plan. A crisis management centre and crisis teams are needed. In order for people to trust and support the endeavour, a crisis communication infrastructure must be built. We shall not use an authoritarian management style in this procedure. On the other hand, disciplinary measures will be devised and implemented, workers who have been rewarded will be praised and society will be motivated (Buhagiar & Anand, 2021). The crisis reaction and scenario management must be thoroughly evaluated, to sum up. For this reason, leaders must be well-versed in the necessary fields in order to properly deal with unexpected crises. So that new problems may appear in firms during times of crisis if they are not dealt with efficiently (Purnomo et al., 2021).

4. Conclusion

Crisis is an unplanned occurrence that disrupts routine operations of the organization and that needs rapid section taking. As states crises cannot be foreseen earlier and they deactivate routine processes, it is required to plan an efficient crisis management and a strong management competency. Disaster management plan helps reduce damages of a future catastrophe and provide readiness against disaster. Just as it is inappropriate to see crisis as a destiny of the organization and thus consign it to its fate, it is also wrong to take no precautions and not draw up a crisis action plan by assuming that the organization would never experience a crisis. If firms want to attain their objectives, they should recognize likely instances of crisis and establish the needed sub-structure systems, operating processes and strategies.

States of crisis increases motivation and boosts mutual trust. This is a shared awareness designed to be developed by leaders in regular periods. A crisis also allows the leader to make and execute decisions in an authoritative form as it ensures teamwork for the fulfilment of objectives. Normally, leaders negotiate with the other around in order to attain the objectives and reach a common point with huge hurdles and in a longer time. As leaders would not allow for optimistic judgements with negative facts, the data gathered should be processed carefully, tranquillity should be preserved and any attitude that may lead to false information or ignorance must be avoided. Overreacting to a time of crisis could yield effects that are worse than having no reaction.

As in all other kinds of management total quality management cannot be seen as a common therapy to address all difficulties on its own. It must be adjusted according to the structure of the company and done rationally to ensure fulfilment of expectations. These activities have the ability to do away with so-called quality policies, allowing for the establishment of a system that is both pleasant and active. Total quality management is a tool that is used to give higher quality training, to bring the organization to a better condition, to insure sustainable development, and to serve better to all groups that have expectations from the firm. Activities are not permitted to detract from the true aim. Total quality management must never be raised to the position of an objective rather than that of a tool; instead, the organization’s fundamental goals and priorities must be taken into consideration at all times.

Total quality management is a procedure that takes a long time. Because total quality management will drastically affect the activities that firms participate in, it must not be neglected. It is taken for granted that excellence would be effortlessly accomplished. The reality that total quality management is a collective endeavour should never be overlooked. If top management has paid this topic the utmost significance and has gathered a group of employees who have committed to the total quality management policy, then success is bound to follow.

In times of crisis, a leader is required to be able to design solutions that involve the participation of all staff members. During a time of crisis, a leader needs to be able to let their employees freely express their opinions and appreciate their reactions, avoid placing restrictions on their employees, enable their employees to access information directly rather than feeding factors that might cause gossip, encourage their employees to concentrate on their work, create an environment where they can brainstorm and give feedback, revise their security plans, and be patient.

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