Do public frontline managers involve frontline professionals in managerial decision-making in response to crisis? Evidence from Danish hospitals during COVID-19

This article investigates whether public frontline managers respond to crisis by involving frontline professionals more in managerial decision-making by utilizing a survey among physicians employed at public hospital departments before and during the COVID-19 crisis. The findings show a positive relationship between how affected the departments were by the crisis and how much the frontline professionals were involved in operational decisions about how to solve problems in the organization. Furthermore, exploratory analyses reveal a potential convex relationship between crisis affectedness and involvement in strategic decisions about the overall goals, direction, and priorities of the organization.