Management Research Review

Managing adversity: understanding some dimensions of organizational resilience:

Ihab Hanna Sawalha

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To cite this document:
Ihab Hanna Sawalha , (2015),"Managing adversity: understanding some dimensions of organizational resilience",
Management Research Review, Vol. 38 Iss 4 pp. Permanent link to this document:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/MRR-01-2014-0010
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Managing adversity: understanding some dimensions of organizational

resilience

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1. Introduction
Understanding organizational resilience, especially in times of uncertainty, like our current times, is significant.
Most importantly, resilience principles would need to be incorporated within broader organizational and socioeconomic development processes (Editorial, 2013). Financial organizations are those known to be best prepared for
risk, crises and business interruptions, and therefore known to be more resilient compared to other sectors
(Williamson, 2007; Swartz et al., 2003); however, other businesses should also seek to underpin resilience as they
are becoming increasingly aware that risks are real.
Insurance is an important component of the financial sector in Jordan. The Insurance Commission of Jordan strives
to improve the performance of this sector so that Jordan becomes a leading regional centre for insurance
(Khammash, 2007). The sector consists of 28 companies licensed to practice insurance business inside Jordan; one
company is licensed as life insurance, eleven as non-life insurance, and sixteen as both (Life and Non-Life insurance
- Composite). In addition, two non operating foreign companies in the Kingdom (Regional/Representation Office)
are subject to the Commissions supervision (Insurance Commission of Jordan, 2011; Miani and Daradkah, 2007).
The insurance sector in Jordan, however, is vulnerable to many types of risks and has suffered significant financial
losses in 2012 reaching to JD 20 Million as a result of several problems (The Jordan Times, 2013). Overall,
insurance is a business of risk (Powell, 2013; Rejda, 2011).
This study aims at: (1) exploring how insurance organizations understand organizational resilience; (2) identifying
potential objectives, elements, and practices of organizational resilience within insurance organizations; and (3)
investigating the impact of culture on resilience.

2. Literature review
2.1 Resilience: definitions and objectives
Resilience has been defined and described in different ways in the literature. For that reason, this paper considers a
wide range of research related to resilience in an attempt to be comprehensive. Resilience is introduced from
different perspectives; personal, organizational, sectorial, and societal- also referred to as the four types of resilience
(Whitehorn, 2010). Later a more focus on the enterprise aspect of resilience was made for the purpose of this
research
Some define resilience within an organizational context (e.g. Burnard and Bhamra 2011; Parsons, 2010; Somers,
2009; Madni, and Jackson, 2009; Crichton et al., 2009; Cheng, 2007; Allenby and Roitz, 2005; Robb, 2000; Mallak,
1998), others define resilience from a sectorial/industry perspective (e.g. Biggs, 2011; McCullough, 2008), others
define resilience from a local community/social perspectives (e.g. Cox, 2012; Graugaard, 2012; Coaffee, 2008;
Sapountzaki, 2007; Boin and McConnell, 2007; Reich, 2006; Pelling, 2003; Paton et al., 2001; Adger, 2000).
Furthermore, the study of resilience appears to be increasingly linked to future studies (e.g. Pasteur, 2011; Smith and
Fischbacher, 2009; Alesi, 2008). For instance, Somers (2009) defined organizational resilience as: the proactive
measures for forward-looking enterprises.

The notion keep going on no matter what happens can be viewed as consistency and resilience at a personal level

(Chang and Wong, 1998). At this level, resilience is viewed as the ability to absorb shocks and external pressures
and restore prior order. It also points towards the ability to take advantage of shocks and pressures in order to
become stronger (Mowbray, 2011). Resilience in this context is not only about biological survival; it also implies the
ability to grow and prosper in future; which highlights the psychological aspect of resilience (Reich, 2006). At
enterprise level, resilient organizations are those able to undertake and maintain positive adjustment under
challenging conditions (Sutcliffe and Vogus, 2003). According to Gittell et al. (2006), this involves the ability to
bounce back from untoward events and the capacity to maintain desirable level of functioning. Therefore, being a
resilient organization is considered as a major strategic advantage (Cheng, 2007).

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The response capability to disasters and crises reflects the ability of an organization to respond to these occurrences
in an efficient and coordinated manner (Hanson, 2006; Fischer, 2002). According to Gaillard (2007), response
capability of organizations is two types: vulnerability and resilience. Vulnerability can be viewed as the acceptance
of crises and therefore represents susceptibility of people and organizations to suffer and subsequently transforming
minor incidents into disasters. Resilience, on the other hand, represents the levels of tolerance and draws on the
techniques adopted to cope with adversity in order to survive. This issue was highlighted by Pelling (2003) who
defined resilience as: the ability to cope with or adapt to risk or disaster/crisis stress in order to survive and reduce
damage. Resilience therefore is considered to be the positive side of vulnerability. It represents the capacity to
resist damage and change resulting from future events (Gaillard, 2007; Moore and Lakha, 2004).
At a larger scale, resilience can be established and practiced at a nation-wide level. For instance, the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security introduced a framework for its resilience work in a reform entitled Building a
resilient nation: enhancing security, ensuring a strong economy (The Reform Institute, 2008). Other international
frameworks have been developed, such as the Hyogo Framework for Action: 2005-2015 (Editorial, 2013; UNISDR,
2013). To capture a broader definition of resilience at various levels, the USAID defined resilience as: the ability of
people, households, communities, countries, and systems to mitigate, adapt to, and recover from shocks and stresses
in a manner that reduces chronic vulnerability and facilitates inclusive growth (USAID, 2012). Fleming and
Ledogar (2008) provided another comprehensive definition of resilience which can be used in various contexts; that
is the positive adaptation despite diversity.
The literature shows different views to resilience objectives. Pasteur (2011) and Somers (2009) argued that
organizational resilience could be active or passive. Passive resilience is demonstrated after the occurrence of an
incident. It reflects how quickly an organization returns to normal without incurring major loss, damage or
discontinuity. Resilience, in this regard, represents the ability to bounce back following a crisis or disaster. Active
resilience is more than the ability to bounce back; it is a deliberate effort to become better able to cope with future
adversity. It involves identifying potential risks, developing early warning systems, and taking proactive measures.
Valastro (2011) identified four main objectives of organizational resilience and described them as resilience
maturity levels. These are: decline, survive, bounce back, and bounce forward. The higher the maturity level, the
more resilient the organization becomes. In addition to these four levels, Valastro (2011), Hiles (2011), Pasteur
(2011), Daskon (2010), and Somers (2009) also argue that resilience can be optimised substantially by developing
and maintaining a culture of resilience. Drawing on this view, one additional level (i.e. level 5) was added to
Valastros model; that is established culture of resilience to represent the highest level of resilience (List 1).

List 1 inserted around here

2.2 Resilience: elements and practice
2

The existing literature does not provide an exhaustive list of what constitutes organizational resilience. This is
because resilience can be viewed and contextualised for various settings. There are many factors that can improve
organizational resilience. According to Foster and Dye (2005), business resilience can be enhanced by securing three
fundamental elements: people, core business (e.g. systems, facilities, and infrastructure and processes), and
networks. Some argue that business continuity management (BCM) improves organizational resilience through
mitigating identifiable operational vulnerabilities, creating plans to respond to disruptions, and inculcating a
preparedness culture (Engemann and Henderson 2011; Hiles, 2011; Sikich, 2003). The BS25999 defined BCM as:
a holistic management process that identifies potential threats to an organisation and the impacts to business
operations that those threats, if realised, might cause, and which provides a framework for building organisational
resilience with the capability for an effective response that safeguards the interests of its key stakeholders,
reputation, brand and value-creating activities (British Standards Institution, 2006). Enhancing organizational
resilience can be achieved by embedding BCM in the culture of the organisation. It can also be improved by
incorporating BCM in strategic planning. BCM secures critical business functions and ensures their continuity
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during unexpected events (Alesi, 2008; Gallagher, 2005; Selden and Perks, 2007).
There is no universally adopted framework for it. Different organizations use different frameworks. For instance,
IBMs model represents a methodical approach to business resilience in the pursuit of mitigating an organizations
risks (IBM Corporation, 2004). The elements included in the model were: integrated risk management, business
continuity management, regulatory compliance, security and data protection, knowledge and skills, and market
readiness. Biggs (2011) argues that enterprise age, size and experience, as well as lifestyle values of the owners are
significantly related to resilience levels. Allenby and Roitz (2005) noted that enforcing internal security and the use
of the internet are likely to improve resilience.
The Pressure and Release model of Wisner et al. (1994), as well as those models introduced by Lee et al. (2013),
Burnard and Bhamra (2011), Erol et al., (2010), and the Resilient Organizations Research Program (2012) represent
the most popular frameworks for understanding and measuring organizational resilience from different perspectives.
The Vulnerability to Resilience framework V2R which was introduced by Pasteur (2011) also provides a
comprehensive understanding of resilience. Figure 1 shows the main elements of resilience according to the V2R
framework. This framework will be used for the purpose of this research. Table 3 shows the elements of this
framework and corresponding practices. The reasons for choosing it are discussed in section 3 in more detail.

Figure 1 inserted around here

2.3 Resilience and culture

The role of culture in preventing or mitigating organizational disasters was discussed by Pauchant and Mitroff
(1988) and Pearson and Mitroff (1993), who argued that the organizations culture can be its worst enemy in

creating disasters and crises. Therefore, creating enterprise culture of resilience sets the foundation for effective
recovery, future success and sustainability (Alesi, 2008; Coles and Buckle, 2004).

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In this context, various views on how to build resilient organizations in terms of culture have been proposed. Madni
and Jackson (2009) argued that resilience means cultural adaptability in the face of external disruptions, taking into
consideration the wide variety of disruptions. Paton et al. (2000) described resilience as an on-going process of selfrighting which relates to an individuals or organizations culture that has the potential to correct itself after
traumatic experiences. Parsons (2010) described organizational resilience as a capability and argued that resilience
and culture are tightly linked. This issue was emphasized by Hiles (2011) and Daskon (2010) who noted that
resilience arises from a combination of culture and attitude, process and framework.
A resilient enterprise reacts to change the way human body responds to diseases- the inherent strength to return to
normal with minimal external influence. In a resilient culture, there is an open atmosphere for reporting and
addressing problems and organizational risks (Elliott et al., 2010). Resilient organizations are those capable of
withstanding discontinuities and interruptions (Starr et al., 2002). They are more likely to sustain a healthy
workplace capable of growing and surviving in complex environments (Lewis, 2013; Gaillard, 2007). This is why it
becomes significant to investigate the influence of culture (i.e. Jordanian culture- which is considered as part of the
Arab culture) on levels of resilience.
Weir (2001) emphasized the unique characteristics of the Arab culture and identified it as a fourth paradigm that
represents the management practice in Arab countries besides the three most well-known paradigms (American,
European, and Japanese). However, many agree that there are differences between the Arab culture and the Western
culture; which reflect on their management systems and practices. Not to mention the variations in management
practices in countries within the Arab world itself (Abu-Doleh, 2003; Weir, 2001; Hofstede, 1991). Therefore, one
of the major problems in researching Arab culture is the question of whether to deal with all Arab countries as one
unit or separately (Obeidat et al., 2012). Some of the differences between the Arab culture and Western culture
which reflect on management and organization include; centralization of power; existence of lines of authority; and
levels of autonomy and delegation (Sabri, 2004; Al-Rasheed, 2001).

3. Methodology
A survey strategy was adopted in this research. Primary and secondary data were obtained. Interviewer-administered
questionnaire was conducted with insurance companies registered with Amman Stock Exchange. The sample
consisted of 28 insurance companies which represent all registered insurance companies in Jordan. 20 responded to
the questionnaire representing 71.4 percent response rate.
Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used since they usually result in higher response rates compared to
self-administered ones when samples are small (Saunders et al., 2000). The questionnaire included closed-ended
questions. The questionnaire was divided into five sections: (1) general questions; (2) major risks facing insurance
industry in Jordan; (3) resilience definitions; (4) elements and practice of resilience; and (5) resilience objectives.
Despite the fact that various models for measuring organizational resilience have been discussed in the literature,
such as those introduced in section 2.2, the V2R framework was used for the purpose of this research to demonstrate
elements and practice of resilience in Jordanian insurance companies. This framework was originally developed to
fit societal resilience; yet, it was applied to an organizational context in this research for the following reasons: (1)
organizational resilience and community resilience are interrelated and interdependent. For instance, many agree
that organizational resilience is a critical component of communities ability to plan for, respond to, and recover
from emergencies and crises (Lee et al., 2013); (2) it provides a systematic approach and shows sound actions
required to strengthen resilience (Pasteur, 2011); (3) the conclusive and comprehensive nature of the model which
draws on various frameworks and approaches introduced in the literature aiming at combining key elements of

resilience into one integrated model (Pasteur, 2011); and (4) originality of this research and in an attempt to bridge
between organizations and community.
The questionnaire was followed by three semi-structured interviews conducted with three General managers from
three companies. Interviews were undertaken in order to provide insight to the cultural factors influencing
organizational resilience in Jordanian insurance companies. Interviews targeted companies which already took part
in the questionnaire.

4. Findings and discussion

4.1 Section 1: general information

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a. Respondent profiles Respondents were requested to indicate their positions. Ten were general managers; five
were deputy general managers; and five were risk managers.
b. Respondent backgrounds respondents were requested to describe briefly their academic backgrounds. This was
made in order to ensure all respondents have adequate knowledge in business which will enable them to complete
the questionnaire and interpret the meaning of organizational resilience correctly. The findings revealed that all
respondents came from business and management backgrounds despite the differences in their specific fields of
study. For this reason, and in order to improve reliability of the research findings and avoid potential
misinterpretations of the concept of resilience due to the differences in respondents backgrounds, a brief
introduction to the research aim and objectives was made by the researcher prior to the beginning of each interview.
c. In all, 100 percent of respondents reported that their companies have experienced crises of different types during
the last ten years.

4.2 Section 2: risks facing Jordanian insurance companies

a. Respondents were requested to identify the risks facing their companies. Table 1 shows the major risks facing
Jordanian insurance companies. Identifying risks facing insurance organizations is significant. According to Allenby
and Roitz (2005), improving organizational resilience starts by prioritizing risks and challenges as a first step.
The findings revealed that the high level of competition between existing insurance companies in the country was
identified as a major risk facing all insurance companies. This finding is consistent with Khammash (2007) who
noted that the insurance sector in Jordan is categorised by an arguably unjustifiable large number of companies
compared to the small size of the Jordanian market. Subsequently, and as was reported by all respondents, this
situation resulted in smaller market share for each insurance company, lower number of customers, and lower
premiums. The findings revealed that political instability in the Middle East was identified as a major risk facing
Jordanian insurance organizations. Political instability increased the level of fear of terrorism amongst individuals
and at business and social levels which all resulted in a perceived social unrest in the country. This is true, since the
current political instability in the region- triggered mainly by what has been labelled the Arab Spring- has almost
affected all business sectors (Al-Rfou, 2013). The increasing level of fraud and fraud techniques has also been
identified as a quickly emerging risk facing the insurance sector in Jordan. This finding is consistent with Gee et al.
(2012) who found that the insurance sector in the UK is increasingly subject to fraud. Subsequently, this situation
forced the Jordanian government and other insurance regulatory bodies to impose a new set of laws and regulations
to govern and control the operations of the insurance sector. Increasing number of natural hazards was also
identified as a major risk facing insurance companies. Lastly, an overall concern about future stability of the region
was addressed as a major concern that potentially hinders the wider business expansion of some insurance
companies in Jordan.

Table 1 inserted around here

The above risks vary in nature, some are operational, others are financial, and others are political. They have
affected negatively the day-to-day operations and the continuity of critical business functions of many insurance
companies in Jordan. This finding reveals that the insurance sector is vulnerable to a wide range of risks and highly
susceptible to crises and disasters. This is consistent with IAIS (2012), Gee et al. (2012), and Berliet (2009) who
noted that the global insurance industry is vulnerable to a wide range of risks and adversity.

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4.3 Section 3: resilience and its objectives (i.e. maturity levels)

a. Respondents were requested to define/describe resilience within their own organizations. Results revealed that
respondents defined/described resilience in different ways. Table 2 provides a summary of how respondents
defined/described resilience. It is believed that the results of this section are significance as they provide in-depth
insight on how each organization understands resilience. This, in turn, will help to capture a larger picture of how
the entire sector comprehends the meaning of resilience and subsequently takes further steps to develop necessary
resilience requirements.
In addition, based on the results obtained, three different categories of respondents were identified in terms of their
views of resilience. Category 1 represents those organizations which interpreted resilience based on the nature of the
major incident they experienced in the past (i.e. depending on the way they were impacted by an event). These
organizations understand resilience as ad Hoc responses to single incidents; which do not reflect a comprehensive
attitude toward resilience. This issue was discussed by Allenby and Roitz (2005) who argued that creating inherently
resilient organizations offers more generalized insurance against unpredictability than merely ad Hoc responses.
Category 2 are those organizations that interpreted resilience based on excessive concerns about future risks and
uncertainty. This issue was also discussed by Allenby and Roitz (2005) who argued that designing resiliency
depends on challenges expected. However, it should not be the only driver for implementing resilience. Category 3
was more rational and objective in their interpretation of organizational resilience. They took into consideration
both; the proactive and reactive sides of resilience.

Table 2 inserted around here

Overall, nine organizations were listed under category 3; six under category 2, and five under category one. This
shows a relative tendency towards a more objective implementation of resilience within Jordanian insurance
organizations.

4.4 Section 4: elements and practice of resilience

According to the V2R framework, there exist four distinct elements (i.e. attributes) that constitute resilience. Under
each of these elements, there exist a number of practices/actions that should be carried out in order to establish and
maintain resilience.
a. Respondents were requested to identify whether or not resilience elements were considered in their own
organizations. Table 3 reveals that all four elements of resilience were considered within all companies including
future uncertainty, hazards and stresses, livelihoods, and governance. However, only a minority of organizations

surveyed seemed to implement all corresponding practices/actions. Key practices were not implemented and others
were not even considered in some organizations.

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Key resilience practices which were not implemented by the majority of companies (i.e. more than 50 percent of
companies interviewed) were: building confidence and flexibility to learn and experiment; strengthening
organizational structure; supporting access to, and sustainable management of, productive organizational resources;
decentralisation and participatory decision making; strengthening links between organizations at the local and
national levels; promoting integrated approaches to disaster management; increasing early warning and awareness;
and establishing contingency and emergency planning. The first five relate mainly to organizational structural
considerations. This result is consistent with Sabri (2004) and Al-Rasheed (2001) who argued that Arab
organizations, including the Jordanian are characterised by centralization of power, existence of lines of authority
and hierarchy, and low levels of autonomy and delegation. The other three practices relate mainly to disaster and
crisis management. The findings did not show sincere willingness of Jordanian insurance companies towards
establishing integrated approaches to disaster management; early warning and awareness; and contingency and
emergency planning despite the fact that they are highly significant to Jordan and should be part of crisis and
disaster management best practice of the country, as Momani and Alzaghal (2009) argued.
Possible consequences of this situation might be lower resilience maturity levels, increased exposure to adversity
and future uncertainty, and subsequently a greater vulnerability of the insurance sector to risk, crises and disasters.
This was emphasized by Valastro (2011) who argued that elements of organisational resilience need to be
implemented and integrated into an organisations daily life and philosophy in order to ensure survival and success
in times of adversity.

Table 3 inserted around here

4.5 Section 5: resilience objectives (i.e. maturity levels)

Respondents were requested to describe the main objective of resilience within their own organizations, also
described in the literature as resilience maturity level. Respondents had to choose one of five options provided.
Table 4 summarises respondents objectives of organizational resilience. The results show that the majority of
respondents (i.e. 11 companies which represent 55 percent of companies surveyed) reported that the main objective
is to be able to recover quickly and effectively following major incidents.

Table 4 inserted around here

This suggests that the industry is more or less capable of restoring its prior-incident status and return back to normal
without incurring significant losses or damage. However, this reveals a higher level of concentration on the reactive
(passive) side of resilience. Less attention have been given to the active side which represents more than the ability

to bounce back; but also to become better able to cope with future adversity through identifying potential risks,
developing early warning systems, and taking proactive measures, as was discussed by Pasteur (2011) and Somers
(2009).

4.6 Section 6: cultural factors

Follow up interviews were conducted with three respondents from three insurance companies; (A), (B) and (C). The
findings revealed that culture has influenced organizational resilience. This is consistent with Erol et al. (2010) and
Boin and McConnell (2007) who argued that organizational culture including beliefs and rationalisations affect
organizational resilience.

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Companies A and B were mostly affected by factors related to both; organizational and national cultures. Amongst
the main organizational factors that were reported were: lack of organizational learning and learning from past
experiences and lack of professional leadership due to lack of adequate training mainly. Both respondents from A
and B reported these factors. Relating to learning, the respondent from (A) elaborated:
[] we certainly keep a record of previous history we also have a risk register. However, we do not promote a
culture of learning from past experiences in our company. People may commit the same mistake over and
over. This reduces the level of resilience, increases cost of risk treatment and operational costs, while these
expenses can be invested in enforcing our infrastructure.
Respondent from (B) stated:
[] our senior management is characterised as being wise, however, in some cases, especially those relating to
risk and uncertainty management, our executives seemed to be more or less reactive in their responses
this reduces resilience and undermines the significance of the planning aspect.
In some Arab countries, management systems are quite shortsighted and may show some weaknesses in learning.
Also, in some cases, Arab executives might lack necessary leadership characteristics and skills, especially those
needed during crises and disasters. The case of Jordan is different to a certain extent than many other Arab states,
despite the existence of some similarities. Often, Jordanian management systems and executives show higher
proficiency and ability to learn, plan and then act accordingly. In some other cases, they may fail to react correctly
due to the lack of experience and the influence of traditional Arab management systems and business environment
which might explain the shortfalls in learning and leadership. This also explains reactive attitudes of the executives
towards risk and uncertainty (Al-Rasheed, 2001; Sabri, 2004, and Hofstede, 1991). The results of the interviews
revealed that the lack of adequate training was another influencing factor. Training in general, is practiced
effectively within many industries in Jordan, especially in the banking sector (Arab Bank, 2014). In some
organizations in other sectors deficiencies in training schemes might exist. Though, this does not necessarily mean
that the entire insurance sector is shortsighted in terms of its training policies (Al-Rasheed, 2001).
Overall, these findings provide better insight about the cultural factors that influence resilience at enterprise level.
This in turn will help to introduce the most appropriate solutions and action plans required to reduce the negative
impact of these factors and optimise resilience.
The main factors relating to national culture that were reported to influence resilience negatively were: first;
peoples attitude towards risk and uncertainty, and second; the limited opportunities of womens participation in
specific business fields and in decision making. The respondent from company (A) stated:
[] In Jordan, uncertainty and risk are often avoided, people and organizations tend to avoid risks in order to
prevent potential disasterssurvival and quick recovery are the main goalsother aspects of resilience are often
overlooked. Such attitudes reflect on people behaviours within some insurance organizations including ours.
Avoidance is only one of many techniques for dealing with risk and uncertainty. In many cases avoidance might not
be the most appropriate alternative to consider. The attitude of avoiding risks under all circumstances does not
necessarily improve resilience. It only means that risk appetite is low. Many argue that the more risks an
organization takes the more tolerant and resilient it becomes (Rejda, 2011; Hopkin, 2010). Therefore, this explains

why some insurance organizations in Jordan need to review/change their attitude towards risk and uncertainty in an
attempt to be more capable of managing adversity.
Despite the fact that Jordan has successfully made considerable improvements in terms of womens participation in
social life and business, masculinity remains one of the main characteristic of the Arab society (Hofstede, 1991). In
general, the limited opportunities of womens participation in specific fields of business and in decision making
often results in gender segregation. Jordan has had persistently low rates of female employment and participation in
the labor force. For those women who are successful in getting jobs, many of these job opportunities are
concentrated at non-executive positions, limiting womens involvement in top-level management and decision
making (Al-Rasheed, 2001; and Sabri, 2004). The respondent from company (B) stated:
[] the main problem is not with the number of women employed in our company or in the insurance companies
in general, but rather, how engaged they are in decision making and strategy setting.

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Then respondent then briefly added, as he felt it was significant to mention:

[] equal involvement of both; men and women in business in general and in the insurance industry in specific
will improve the resilience of the sectorfemale participation should not be underestimated.
Interview findings revealed that company (C), similar to (A) and (B), was subject to similar cultural influences.
However, another cultural factor was identified to affect the level of resilience not only within company (C) itself,
but within the entire insurance industry in Jordan; that is collaboration, especially in times of crises and
emergencies. The respondent from company (C) seemed to be very keen to address the issue of collaboration as he
felt it was a major cultural constraint to improving organizational and sectorial resilience. He argued:
[] Due to the large number of insurance companies in Jordan and the high level of competition between these
companies, collaboration is rarely considered. This affects the level of resilience within the insurance sector
considerably.
He also added:
[] Even in times of crises and intense difficulties, rarely would the existing insurance companies collaborate
and join efforts to gain more control over the situation in many cases in the past and present insurance
companies tend to work individually.
In this context, many researchers argue that collaboration is a key element that contributes to the success of
businesses (Linton, 2013), as well as to crisis and emergency management (Allen, 2011; Waugh, and Streib, 2006).
Coordinated collaboration improves nation-wide resilience, facilitates response to immediate needs of communities,
and supports relief and recovery following major incidents. The capacity for organizations and countries to
collaborate with others in and after a disaster however, does not occur spontaneously or in a vacuum. It has to be
planned and prepared for in order to function effectively. Overall, collaboration which involves effective crisis
communications, teamwork and unique leadership characteristics lays foundation for effective management of
natural and man-made disasters which subsequently improves resilience levels of businesses and communities.

Conclusion
Resilience is a multidimensional concept. Improving the understanding of resilience will help organizations,
especially those operating in the Middle East, to better control a future of escalating global change and the
associated disasters and crises. The significance of this study is that it takes a step forward towards understanding
resilience and its requirements in the context of an emerging economy. Emerging economies are increasingly facing
various types of risk that have the potential to slow down and hinder their development (Aybar and
Thirunavukkarasu, 2005; Jimenez, 1997).
The findings of this research revealed that the insurance sector in Jordan is exposed to various types of risks that
make it vulnerable to crises, operational disruptions, and disasters. These include the high level of competition; loss
of customers; and financial losses. Not to mention the current social and political instability in the Middle East
which have negatively influenced almost all businesses within all sectors. Respondents seemed to have different

definitions and descriptions of organizational resilience. This could be linked to their differing backgrounds or
positions in their organizations. Almost every respondent had his own unique description of resilience despite the
existence of some similarities between these descriptions in some cases. Some relate resilience to the ability to cope
with risks, others to organizational structures, and others to the level of planning.

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The findings showed that key resilience practices were not considered in many insurance companies in Jordan. This
suggests that these companies might be reluctant towards establishing comprehensive and integrated resilience
frameworks. Possible consequences to this could be lower resilience maturity levels and increased exposure to risk
and uncertainty. The majority of insurance companies were categorised under level 3 of the resilience maturity
index in which the ability to recover Bounce Back was the main objective of resilience followed by level 4
where the main objective of resilience is to improve the overall risk management process.
Arab culture has influenced resilience levels in Jordanian insurance companies. However, this does not necessarily
suggest that all western organizations (e.g. insurance) are more resilient than Arab organizations. Insurance
companies, especially those operating in Jordan and in the Arab World more generally, need to establish corporate
cultures which facilitate information exchange and discussions about organizational objectives and strategies
empowered by better knowledge, vision and foresight. Key cultural factors that were identified include: lack of
organizational learning and learning from past experiences; lack of professional leadership; lack of adequate
training; peoples attitude towards risk and uncertainty; limited opportunities of womens participation in decision
making; and lack of collaboration between insurance companies.
There is much written about resilience. The literature shows extensive research that has been made in this field.
What is currently required is to apply this knowledge in new contexts, similar to this research. To the authors
knowledge, the value of this research is that it is one of few to explore issues of resilience within the insurance
sector and within the context of an emerging economy; Jordan in specific. Therefore, it could stimulate more indepth research and investigation. In addition, and based on the findings of the interviews, some new cultural trends
have been identified which, certainly, need further investigation, especially those ones particular to the Arab culture.

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Biographical Details:
Ihab Hanna Salman Sawalha is Head of Risk Management Department at the American University of Madaba (AUM)
in Jordan. He holds a PhD in Business Continuity Management and Strategic Planning from the University of
Huddersfield, UK; an MBA from Coventry University, UK; and a Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering from
Princess Sumaya University for Technology, Jordan.

15

List 1: resilience objectives (i.e. maturity levels)

Objective
(maturity
level)

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Decline

Survive

Bounce back

Bounce forward

Established
culture of
resilience

Description

accept that an
incident may
occur and bring
about negative
consequences

exist in a
reduced form
following an
incident

recover quickly
and effectively
following an
incident

improve
future risk
management,
so that the
organization
not only
survives but
benefits from
the incident

bounce forward
within an
integrated
framework of
resilience and
culture

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an organizations
resilience objective
is to:

Table 1: major risks facing insurance organizations

Frequency
20

% of
respondents
100

Loss of potential customers

20

100

Financial losses, triggering future financial problems and crises

20

100

Political instability in the Middle east

15

75

Threat of terrorism

15

75

Increasing fraud and fraud techniques

12

60

Increasing laws and regulations

10

50

Social unrest

45

Increasing number of natural hazards

45

Overall concerns about future stability of the region

40

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Risk identified
High level of competition

Note: Frequency represents the number of respondents who reported the risk

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Figure 1: The V2R framework.

Source: Pasteur (2011).

Table 2: respondents description of resilience within their own organizations

Respondent
(R)
R1
R2
R3
R4

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R5
R6
R7
R8
R9
R10
R11
R12
R13
R14
R15
R16
R17
R18

R19
R20

Resilience definition/description

Category of
respondents
(resilience views)

Coping with the full range of twenty-first-century threats from maninduced to natural disasters and diseases
My business is in a better position to cope with future challenges and
stay in business than other organizations in the same sector
Being able to carry on in business despite all disruptions

Initiating recovery as quickly and efficiently as possible following an

incident
Not be intimidated easily by future challenges

Taking all defensive measures, such as greater protection against all

possible future risks
Ensure effectiveness of regulatory control, supervision and monitoring
of risk
Enhancing organizational learning from failure (e.g. implementing a
comprehensive lessons learned report)
To adjust or adapt to changing conditions internally and externally

To absorb and adapt to extreme shocks and stresses of various types

Our capacity to absorb disturbance and retain key elements of structure

that preserve our competitive edge
Coping and adapting in the aftermath of a stressful occurrence

Ability of our people who can respond and adapt quickly and effectively
to change while enduring minimal stress
Our ability to perform positive adaptive behaviours

To develop tolerance for future uncertainty

Ability to take advantage of future opportunities and avoid challenges

Prearranged set of actions to be carried out during and after the

occurrence of an incident
The process of business continuity management which ensures
continuity of critical business functions before, during and after a
disruptive incident
Our flexible organizational structure and the open and efficient
communication system that allows cross-department information
exchange
The extra measures taken to fight against insurance fraud

2
3

3
1
3

Table 3: elements and practice of resilience

Future uncertainty

Improving understanding of trends and their local impacts

Ensuring access to relevant and timely information
Building confidence and flexibility to learn and experiment

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Hazards and Stresses

Building capacity to analyse hazards and stresses

Improving hazard prevention and protection
Increasing early warning and awareness
Establishing contingency and emergency planning
Building back better (recovery)

Livelihoods

Strengthening organizational structure

Supporting access to, and sustainable management of,
productive organizational resources
Promoting access to technologies
Improving access to markets and skilled employment
Ensuring secure working conditions

Governance

Frequency

% of respondents

20

100

20
20
10

100
100
50

Frequency

% of respondents

20

100

15
15
5
4
20

75
75
25
20
100

Frequency
20

% of respondents
100

10
10

50
50

15
12
15

75
60
75

Frequency
20

% of respondents
100

5
Decentralised and participatory decision making
5
Strengthening links between organizations at the local and
national levels
10
Promoting integrated approaches to disaster management
15
Addressing underlying systemic issues
Note: Frequency represents the number of respondents who reported the element.

25
25
50
75

Table 4: resilience objectives (i.e. maturity levels)

Objective
Level 1
Level 2
(maturity level)
Decline
Survive

Description

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organizations
resilience
objective is to:

accept that an
incident may
occur and
bring about
negative
consequences

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Bounce back

Bounce forward

exist in a
reduced form
following an
incident

recover quickly
and effectively
following an
incident

R13, R16, R20

R1, R2, R3, R4,

R5, R6, R8, R9,
R10, R12, R15

improve
future risk
management,
so that the
organization
not only survives
but benefits from
the incident
R7, R11, R14,
R18, R17, R19

Established
culture of
resilience
bounce
forward
within an
integrated
framework of
resilience and
culture