The study, which was recently published in the prestigious British Journal of Management, draws on large global firms’ responses to the Covid-19 pandemic and what can be learned and applied in the future to respond to crises such as natural disasters and geopolitical conflicts. The research was conducted by Dr Tahir Islam, Senior Lecturer in Marketing at Leeds Trinity University and a team of co-researchers from the University of Sussex.

Dr Tahir Islam said: “Our team is committed to addressing the critical gap in understanding how large global firms respond to long-term, high-impact external crises, particularly in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. While previous research has mainly focused on corporate social responsibility (CSR) responses to firm-specific internal crises, our work seeks to shed light on the limited knowledge regarding how firms navigate externally induced crises that impact a broad spectrum of stakeholders.

“Our team members, all experienced in sustainable policy, are deeply committed to providing key solutions to all stakeholders. This research is a collective effort to contribute meaningfully to both theory and practice.”

Professor Yanguo Jing, Dean of the Faculty of Business, Computing and Digital Industries at Leeds Trinity University said: "Congratulations to Dr Islam and the Business School on this study. This work suggests that a synergistic multi-stakeholder approach to CSR can be effectively applied across different crisis situations, such as natural disasters and geopolitical conflicts. The proposed approach not only addresses multiple stakeholder needs but also enhances operational efficiencies, which is vital during crises when firms face economic pressures.”

The paper will help inform global firms on different high crisis approaches and how to take decisions that suit their individual resources to effectively manage challenges and mitigate risks.