Human impact issues for crisis management in organizations

The purpose of this article is to describe the adaptation of an assessment model, the Triage Assessment System (TAS), which is widely used in crisis intervention to understand the human impact of a crisis within an organization.

After a literature review, the Triage Assessment System is adapted to be applicable to organizations in crisis. Nine characteristics associated with the impact of crises on employees of an organization are discussed.

Suggestions are made for ways in which organizations can use the TAS to improve their preparation for recovery efforts after a crisis. These suggestions outline ways to use the TAS as well as approaches that consultants may employ when working with organizations. Suggestions are also made for future research using the TAS with organizations. Although developed for individuals, the concepts used in the TAS can also be applied to organizations in crisis.

The article offers practical suggestions to help organizations manage the impact of organizational crises on their employees. Research in this area should help to refine the TAS for organizations, particularly assessment of the severity of organizational reactions.