Pandemic planning, sustainability practices, and organizational performance: An empirical investigation of global manufacturing firms

Disruption events like pandemic crises and natural disasters are unpredictable and therefore, most organizations are implementing an emergency plan to mitigate the unforeseen risks. This paper presents a research framework based on sustainability theory perspectives (i.e., crisis life cycle and management cycle). To test a research model that defines key variables, we assess and validate the hypothesized relationships using a large-scale survey. The respondents are from global food, pharmaceutical, and medical manufacturing companies (n = 301). We use a polynomial regression method coupled to response surface analysis. Results suggest that in the COVID-19 pandemic context, pandemic emergency planning dimensions are positively related to organizational performance metrics (e.g., sales, net profit, on-time orders, and quality) of the food, medical and pharmaceutical industries. The response surface analysis also shows that prudent firms implement triple sustainability practices- economic improvement practices, socially responsible practices, and environmental practices-to ensure their market competitiveness and corporate reputation during critical times. Theoretical and managerial implications are presented for future studies.