A New Cosmology of Risks and Crises: Time for a Radical Shift in Paradigm and Practice

Abstract

Our current system for homeland security does not provide the necessary framework to manage the challenges posed by 21-super-st-Century catastrophic threats. Copyright 2009 by The Policy Studies Organization.

Making Communication Strategy Choices in a Fast Evolving Crisis Situation—Results from a Table-Top Discussion on an Anthrax Scenario

“…The results of the study fit in with a process view on crisis management and underline some recent views about crisis management and communication according to which current crises, such as terrorism, are especially complex, dynamic and challenging [1,2]. As a consequence, crisis teams often operate in challenging conditions, under pressures of uncertainty, stress, and urgency.…”

Leadership in Times of Crisis: A Framework for Assessment

“…A common refrain in academic studies of crisis management holds that crises pose ever more difficult challenges that traditional bureaucracies find increasingly hard to meet (Light, 2008;Lagadec, 2009). There is undoubtedly a kernel of truth to this observation.…”

Disaster management within the framework of a changing disaster landscape

“…Decades of research has established a rich knowledge of disasters and toolkits of best practices to deal with these events (Lagadec, 2009a). However, since the end of the last century, several researchers point out that the disaster landscape is fundamentally changing shape.…”

“…Therefore, disaster response remains crucial in managing disasters, and it will even become more important, taking into account the results of the first empirical study which confirms the changing disaster context. Albeit researchers underline that we have to reassess our understanding of responding to disasters (Lagadec, 2009a;OECD, 2003;Robert & Lajtha, 2002), the response phase of the disaster management life cycle has not been reevaluated. Therefore, the study in Chapter 3, entitled 'The Response Phase of the Disaster Management Life Cycle Revisited within the context of disasters out of the box', aims to remodel the response phase of the disaster management life cycle, focusing on an alternative and fresh approach.…”

“…Knowledge gained through experience allows disaster managers and emergency workers to respond to events which are understandable in terms of past disasters (Gundel, 2005;Hills, 1998). However, this is not the case in the event of disasters out of the box (Lagadec, 2009a). Therefore, in Chapter 4, titled 'Tightening the Reins or Letting Go: The Importance of Contingent Leadership when Dealing with Routine or Ron-Routine Situations.'…”