From complexity to evolution: Mapping resilience management practices in the hospitality industry during the COVID-19 crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the hospitality industry. Many have treated the crisis as a temporary shock. However, there are those who see it as a turning point. Treating the hospitality industry as a complex adaptive system, this research uses the organizational resilience framework to investigate how hospitality organizations responded to the crisis. A mixed methods approach was employed, and two studies were conducted. A sample of managers from Omani hotels were interviewed and a content analysis was performed on the websites and annual reports of a sample of international hotel brands. The results revealed that the Omani industry’s response was mostly limited to coping, whereas the international industry was active in anticipating, coping, and adapting to the pandemic. Strong support is provided for the notion of the pandemic as a turning point. An action framework has been developed to support firms in keeping pace with the industry's evolution.