Crisis Management From Complexity Science Perspective: Case Studies On The Fire Incident At Company A

This study adopts Complexity Science Perspective to examine organizational adaptive processes under major disaster crises. It analyzes how organizational members search for and establish new order amid chaos. Using the case of Company A’s warehouse fire incident, this research employs a participatory observation method to document organizational operations and decision-making across three stages: crisis outbreak, aftermath, and resolution. The findings indicate that, in the outbreak phase, the supply chain and operational order collapsed rapidly. The organization sustained basic operations through cross-departmental collaboration, ad hoc decision-making, and external resource inputs. This reflected characteristics of Dissipative Structures, wherein resources and processes were reconfigured to form temporary order under disequilibrium. Self-Organization mechanisms enabled members to restore overall operations through localized actions. From Complex Adaptive Systems perspective, the study further revealed the organization’s capacity for dynamic adjustment and learning under conditions of limited information and resources. Moreover, External Energy Input, including supplier support and the intervention of a new management team, played a critical role in generating new order. Overall, under conditions of high uncertainty and cascading crises, organizations must develop capabilities in rapid decision-making, resource reallocation, cross-departmental collaboration, and organizational learning to achieve order out of chaos. This study provides empirical support for crisis management theories grounded in Complexity Science, while deepening the understanding of organizational resilience and dynamic adaptation.