The dynamics of coordination patterns in multiteam systems response to emergency: Case study from a pharmaceutical enterprise

Effective coordination of multiteam systems (MTSs) can help enterprises respond quickly to complex and uncertain problems under disasters. However, it is unclear how MTS coordination patterns dynamically affect MTS performance in disasters. This study examined how MTSs responded to an emergency production incident at the Zhejiang Huisong Pharmaceutical Company in China during the COVID-19 pandemic through a qualitative and quantitative study. Based on social network theory, we found that a centralized coordination pattern impacts MTS performance by giving play to the leadership team’s network centrality position advantage during the crisis outbreak period. In the post-crisis period, the decentralized coordination pattern impacts MTS performance by giving play to the advantages of horizontal coordination. Our results help managers to consider the dynamics of coordination patterns in crisis management in ways that assist them in adapting an effective coordination pattern to changing and uncertain operational conditions.