Abstract:
The heightened uncertainty by Covid-19 created an environment whereby managers
and organisations needed to adapt. However, the strategic adaptation in decisionmaking
in times of uncertainty was not fully understood, especially in the heightened
uncertainty, which created a need for this study. Therefore, this study explored the
strategic decision-making adaptations by middle management, specifically in times
of uncertainty. The study followed a qualitative approach through interviews of 15
middle managers across nine organisations in the fast-moving consumable goods
industry.
The study's findings demonstrated a need for middle management to adapt their
strategic decision-making based on the environmental context that focuses on
meeting the consumers changing needs. The adaptation exists in both the business
and macro-environment, whereby these actions can pivot or mitigate risk for the
organisation. The researcher proposes a conceptual framework for how middle
management can adapt their strategic decision-making in times of uncertainty with
an explicit focus on pivoting or mitigating risk in both the business and macroenvironment.
