IT reliability as a source of sustainability for organisations operating during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract The article aims to show that reliable IT support was crucial for the survival and sustainability of organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article considers the negative effect of the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on the organisational sustainability of an organisation (i.e., organisational performance through employee job performance). It explores the role of IT reliability in mitigating such a negative effect. To verify the hypotheses, the empirical studies were performed during the COVID-19 crisis with 1160 organisations operating in Poland, Italy and the USA. The data were analysed using multiple linear regression models with mediators and moderators. The results confirmed that due to the ability to limit the severity of a crisis-induced negative effect on employee job performance (influencing organisational performance), IT reliability could be considered a mitigator for the negative effect of the COVID-19 crisis on the sustainability of organisations. The results indicate that IT reliability should be fostered among organisations operating during the COVID-19 pandemic to maintain sustainability.