Impact of COVID-19 on the leadership of operational leaders in the oil, gas, and mining sector of Australia

The Challenge

This research examines the impact of COVID‑19 on Australian resource industry leaders and employees, addressing gaps in understanding prolonged crisis effects on leadership, wellbeing, and teams. It provides insights and recommendations to strengthen resilience, health, safety, and future policy development across the sector. 

Key Findings

Frontline leaders rapidly expanded roles across COVID‑19 phases: prioritising safety and continuity early, then enabling digital transition and remote coordination, and later rebuilding trust and resilience. Leadership became more flexible, empathetic, and communicative, supporting morale and stability. Psychosocial safety and mental health management were central, while digital transformation improved continuity. Successfully balancing competing demands underpinned strong adaptive capacity and sector resilience. 

Benefits to WA

Embedding psychosocial safety within existing frameworks enhances worker protection and reduces risk, while improved leadership capability supports safer, more adaptive operations. Focus on mental health, flexible work, and digital engagement promotes workforce wellbeing and stability. Accelerated digital transformation reduces travel, lowering environmental impact and supporting more efficient, sustainable operations statewide.

DOI

DOI:10.25958/j7sb-ya36  

Ajith, M. M., Lux, A. A., Bentley, T., and Striepe, M. (2024). Adaptive crisis management at the operational level: Responses to COVID-19 in the Australian resources sector. Journal of Management & Organization, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2024.62