Prof. Hartwells award-winning paper, “Obstacles to collective action during a crisis: A meta-organizational perspective”, was co-authored with Thomas C. Lawton and Ishmael Tingbani and published in the European Management Review. The study examines how meta-organisations—such as the European Union—can struggle to respond swiftly to crises due to structural and institutional complexities.

Using the EU’s initial handling of air travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study, the authors demonstrate the challenges organisations face when system-level goals conflict, especially in fast-moving crisis situations. Their work offers valuable insights into governance and coordination under pressure, a topic with ongoing relevance for policymakers and organisational leaders alike.

The recognition at EURAM underscores the academic contribution of the study and highlights the relevance of applied management research in addressing real-world challenges.