| The success of crisis management practices depends on the degree they are incorporated into the overall organizational strategy and structure. This research proposes an assessment tool to measure and maintain these practices by identifying specific crisis management metrics.; The study advocates a qualitative and a quantitative model based on models developed by Pauchant, Mitroff, Harrald and Porter. The software measurement practices outlined by Park, Goethert and Florac are the basis of the methodology used to infer crisis management indicators from the crisis management business goal. This goal, which is to measure crisis management practices, is considered the critical qualitative factor for success. The Crisis Management Indicator (CMI) is the corresponding quantitative metric used to evaluate the status of crisis management programs and practices in the organization. The business goal is divided into subgoals of crisis management availability, crisis management effectiveness and crisis management integration. The subgoals depend on Key Success Factors (KSF) for strategy, and Key Success Participants (KSP) for structure. In the quantitative model, the CMI is composed of the Aggregate, Strategy Indicator and the Aggregate Structure Indicator. The two aggregate indicators are divided into five measurable indicators: strategy availability indicator, strategy effectiveness indicator, structure effectiveness indicator, strategy integration indicator and structure integration indicator. The organizational CMI will fall into one of the four crisis management quadrants: Crisis Prepared, Structure Deficient, Strategy Deficient and Crisis Prone.; The proposed model was tested through a survey of organizations from the public and private sectors of Egypt and the United States. There were twenty-nine cases from Egypt and nine cases from the United States. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the assessment tool in identifying the organizational CMI value and its quadrant location. This allows organizations to analyze their crisis management practices and identify areas requiring improvement. The survey data also illustrates some cultural differences in the two countries, as well as some differences between sectors of the same country. |
