The geography of organizational change: A critical review

This paper explores the role of geography in relation to the theories on organizational resilience. Prior studies have addressed the construct of disaster in relation to place and community resilience in supporting the development of sustainable livelihoods, but the application of geography to organizations in the context of disasters remains unexplored. This critical review examines this emerging concept in context. In doing so, it delineates three levels of understanding embedded in the construct: subject, organization, and context. It helps explore the intangible elements that may mirror organizational place and space, where the organizational structure becomes fundamentally challenged in a disaster situation. This review calls into question the role of agency and ethical decisions of leaders – and those who hold emergent leadership roles – helping to re-construct power asymmetries that are revealed in disaster settings, assuring that individuals and livelihoods are bolstered in existing geographies.