A dynamic model of crisis management from a stakeholder perspective: the case of COVID-19 in China

Purpose This study aims to develop a holistic and dynamic model that governs the various relationships among the critical factors of crisis management from a stakeholder perspective in the context of China’s COVID-19 epidemic outbreak. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 731 textual sources, and the text mining technique identified the themes of a holistic crisis management model. Then, content analysis was applied to reveal in-depth insights into the themes. Findings From a stakeholder perspective, the model comprises six elements: political environment, economic environment, technology, social environment, health and science and international relationships, which relate significantly to four procedural actions: prevention, response, recovery and adaptation. The overlapping stages and situational dynamic mechanisms of the process are another two new major findings of this study; learning and preparing are threaded throughout the whole dynamic process. Practical implications Hospitality stakeholders are advised to collaborate under the guidance of the dynamic crisis management model and adopt high-technology tools for the industry’s recovery management. Developing a new business model and marketing strategy is a useful approach to face similar crisis management challenges in the future. Originality/value This paper fills an existing research gap by presenting a health-related crisis management model that can be used to evaluate the dynamic process of collaborations among stakeholders in coping with external challenges forced upon the hospitality industry.