Organizational Learning in customs during Health Crises: The Case of the Costa Rican National Customs Service in Response to COVID-19
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29393/GP10-5AOLM40005Keywords:
public management, institutional adaptation, administrative innovation, remote workAbstract
This article examines organizational learning and the role of administrative discretion in the Costa Rican National Customs Service during the COVID-19 pandemic, understood as a critical situation that challenged the public sector's adaptive capacity. Using a qualitative methodology that included 26 semi-structured interviews and the application of a checklist adapted from the World Customs Organization, response and learning mechanisms were analyzed. The results indicate that the crisis prompted the accelerated adoption of digital tools, procedural flexibility, and greater operational autonomy. Administrative, technical-customs, and cultural learning were identified, emerging through both informal (trial and error, collaboration) and formal mechanisms. The exercise of administrative discretion by staff facilitated adaptation and operational continuity. However, significant structural barriers were identified, such as the lack of preexisting protocols and resource limitations, which hinder the formal institutionalization of the lessons learned from the crisis. It is concluded that, while the emergency stimulated adaptation, consolidating these lessons as long-term resilient organizational capabilities requires a deliberate institutional effort.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Laura Sariego-Kluge, María Luisa Ramirez, Madelyn Chavarría Muñoz, Olivier Traña
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