AI Insight
This study evaluated a psychosocial resilience training program designed by HR departments for leaders in public and private sectors operating under polycrisis conditions. Using multiple evaluation methods, researchers found that structured "resilience sprints" effectively improved leaders' knowledge and immediate reactions to the training, though translating this learning into behavioral changes and measurable organizational results proved more challenging. The training's effectiveness was facilitated by psychologically safe learning environments and peer support, but constrained by leaders' difficulty prioritizing training amid ongoing work demands during crisis periods.
Why it matters
This research provides evidence-based guidance for HR practitioners designing resilience training for leaders during times of multiple, overlapping crises. The findings reveal that while structured resilience training can enhance leader capacity in theory, real-world implementation faces significant barriers that must be addressed through flexible timing, organizational support, and realistic expectations about outcomes during crisis conditions.
Understand the Science
In crises and fluctuating organizational contexts, resilience is increasingly recognized as a critical HRM strategy for sustaining organizational functioning and human capacity. This multi-method study evaluates an HRM-driven psychosocial resilience training program, including emotional training elements, for public and private leaders operating under polycrisis conditions. The study examines how leaders engage with resilience-oriented training and perceive its contribution to their capacity to anticipate, cope with, and learn from adversity. Participants´ evaluation of cyclic “resilience sprints,” the mechanisms of impact, and contextual influences were analyzed using descriptive and statistical methods. Findings show that structured resilience sprints support implementation, although the number, intervals, and duration of sprints were less suitable during polycrisis. Leaders achieved measurable effective training (Kirkpatrick reaction/learning levels), though training effectiveness (behavior/results levels) was more limited. Key facilitators included being gathered in a psychologically safe learning environment with committed trainers and supportive colleagues, while the main barrier was prioritizing training alongside work demands. Training-timing and motivation shifted dynamically throughout the period. The study contributes to HRM, Management, and Applied Resilience scholarship by highlighting overlooked dynamics and contextual factors shaping the build of leader resilience during crises, when most needed, and translates these into concrete considerations for HR practice.