The Organizational Learning Role in Construction Organizations Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The speed of the COVID-19 outbreak forced decision-makers to implement emergency plans to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on their business. This research is conducted to study the role of organizational learning (OL) practices in construction organizations’ resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis was implemented together with the results of semi-structured interviews that were conducted immediately before the pandemic to learn how OL would help construction organizations survive during crises similar to the pandemic and create potential opportunities after the crisis that could contribute to ensure long-term sustainability. The results show that OL practices can assist construction organizations in surviving the threats of the pandemic and creating opportunities. The defined opportunities were distributed on three interrelated dimensions: management awareness, investing in information, communication technology (ICT), and standardized business practices. The results of the SWOT analysis revealed the inevitable need for OL-based business cultures. Therefore, it is essential for construction organizations to focus on implementing OL practices that would best assist them in being robust and resilient during crises and ensure their sustainable status in the long term.