Concert time in crisis: Rethinking temporal structuring and decision-making under pressure

Abstract

This study investigates the interplay between temporal and emotional dynamics during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic at a public hospital in the Grand Est region of France, and their influence on strategic crisis management. We use the concept of concert time to analyze how temporal structures and temporal work were reconfigured under conditions of extreme urgency and uncertainty. Our qualitative case study is based on interviews with twelve hospital decision-makers and a range of internal and external documents. The findings reveal that in the absence of established routines, emotionally charged real-time coordination became central to collective action. Concert time encouraged a sense of alignment, cohesion, and togetherness among staff, enabling more effective decision-making. In contrast to dominant narratives that frame crisis emotions primarily in terms of fear or anxiety, our study highlights the mobilizing role of shared positive emotions—such as pride, moral purpose, and collective enthusiasm. These emotions served not only to support resilience but also acted as a mechanism for temporal coordination. However, the findings also point to the fragility of emotional alignments, which often dissolve when emotional labor is left unrecognized after the crisis. By examining how time is experienced as a lived phenomenon and how emotions function as organizational forces, this study contributes to emerging literature that foregrounds the constitutive role of emotions in decision making and coordination during crises.