While crisis management plans are designed and sponsored at senior levels, managers at all levels (C) are ultimately responsible for carrying out a successful crisis management plan. Execution—not design—is the defining factor of crisis response effectiveness, and managers are the link between strategy and action.
SPHR-level leadership frameworks emphasize that crisis plans rely on distributed accountability. Managers translate plans into operational decisions, communicate with employees, ensure compliance with procedures, and adapt responses to real-time conditions. Without manager engagement and competence, even the most comprehensive crisis plan will fail.
Senior leadership (B) plays a critical role in setting direction, allocating resources, and signaling priorities, but they are not present in every operational area during a crisis. Emergency response teams (A) and internal safety departments (D) provide expertise and coordination, yet they do not manage day-to-day employee actions across the organization.
This question reinforces an SPHR principle: leadership responsibility is shared, and crisis preparedness depends on training, empowerment, and accountability at every management level. HR supports this by ensuring managers are trained, informed, and prepared to lead during disruptions.
References :
HRCI SPHR Exam Content Outline — Functional Area: Leadership and Strategy (risk management; crisis leadership; organizational accountability).
HRCI SPHR Study Guide — Roles of managers in crisis and business continuity planning.
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