Change Management in International Companies During Global Crises

Abstract

         This article examines how international and trans-regional firms manage organizational change during continuous global crises, with particular attention to leadership, employee morale, change fatigue, quiet quitting, and organizational resilience. The study is situated within the Turkey, Middle East, and Africa business environment, where firms operate under persistent geopolitical instability, inflationary pressure, supply chain disruption, currency fluctuation, and market uncertainty. Drawing on Dynamic Capabilities Theory, Conservation of Resources Theory, and Complexity Leadership Theory, the article explores how organizations respond strategically to crisis conditions while also managing the psychological consequences of continuous change.The research adopts a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews with eleven anonymized mid-to-senior-level managers, executives, and business owners working across logistics, freight forwarding, finance, manufacturing, consulting, training, and other supply-chain-related sectors. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns in participants’ experiences of crisis response, leadership communication, employee pressure, and organizational adaptation.The findings reveal five major themes. First, firms initially prioritized survival through liquidity protection, cost control, inventory security, and operational improvisation. Second, crisis conditions expanded managerial roles and intensified psychological resource depletion among managers and employees. Third, prolonged uncertainty and continuous change contributed to change fatigue, disengagement, and quiet quitting behaviors. Fourth, transparent, supportive, and adaptive leadership acted as a buffering mechanism by reducing uncertainty, strengthening trust, and enabling faster operational responses. Finally, several temporary crisis responses evolved into more resilient long-term practices, including digitalization, flexible work arrangements, supplier diversification, alternative routes, and stronger coordination routines. The article concludes that effective change management during global crises requires more than strategic agility; it also depends on protecting employees’ psychological resources through human-centered and adaptive leadership.