Risk Management in the Post Pandemic Business Environment

Abstract

The requirement to address risk in the prevailing business environment has been accentuated due to the constraints of the pandemic. It is proposed that the nature of risk context has been fundamentally altered by the global events of COVID. This paper provides a perspective that is based on an exploratory study of the identification and addressing of risk, in terms of business projects.A review of the literature has been undertaken and the key themes for the study topic identified. A senior manager, who is responsible for risk management at a company that runs international projects, was interviewed in an empirical study. A thematic analysis was performed, employing an inductive approach, in this research into a single case. The aim was to contribute to the prevailing literature and enhance understanding of the post pandemic business environment, in respect of risk management.The principal questions concerning risk and risk management are discerned. The objective is to consider risk in the post pandemic environment, in order to improve understanding of the issues relevant to business. The requirement to address these issues is also covered, with an attempt to determine the main themes from the research, in order to assist practitioners.The use of technology to support business continuity and achieve business objectives during the pandemic is discussed. An articulation of Lewin’s change model is proposed to summarise this work and assist in the comprehension of the contemporary situation.