How to stay high-performing: developing organizational grit

Abstract

Purpose

In the past decades, there has been much research into ways organizations can become high-performing. Research into ways organizations can stay high-performing, especially in challenging times, is much less prevalent. The purpose of this study is to look at ways that high-performance organizations (HPOs) use in practice to stay high-performing.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach of this study consisted of a qualitative matching of the theoretical ways organizations can foster organizational grit – strengthen stamina and resilience of employees to keep achieving results and to persevere in the face of setbacks – with the empirical ways three case organizations in practice used to stay high-performing.

Findings

The literature review yielded 9 ways to foster organizational grit, while the empirical research provided 12 ways HPOs used to stay high-performing. What the literature highlighted was matched in such a way that these practical ways to stay high-performing can be understood as solutions/alternatives with which to foster grit in the organization in a practical manner.

Originality/value

HPOs are quite rare and being able to follow them closely for a prolonged period of time is even more unique. Therefore, this study can be seen as adding a unique piece to the puzzle of how to stay HPO and how organizational grit can be fostered and strengthened.

Citation

de Waal, A., Burrell, J., Drake, S., Sampa, C. and Mulimbika, T. (2023), "How to stay high-performing: developing organizational grit", Measuring Business Excellence, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 25-39. https://doi.org/10.1108/MBE-08-2021-0104