Facing Death: The Dynamics of Leadership and Group Behavior in Extreme Situations When Death Strikes Without Warning

Applying the terror management theory to active shooter events: Explaining the police response

“…The review here indicates that the type of training needs to be addressed, not simply more training. Kernic (2017: 36) observed:It appears rather strange that sometimes, military and police academies almost entirely exclude the one crucial issue that is deeply woven into the fabric of their organizational tasks, i.e. to prepare their members to risk their lives to save others, to deal with casualties and wounded comrades, and – in worst cases – to die.…”

“…Mortality salience may help understand this behavior. When some people are exposed to a conscience reminder of their mortality by looking death in the face (Kernic, 2017), that reminder may stimulate other terror management mechanisms. To address this in policing it is necessary to briefly revisit TMT research into the actions of military soldiers.…”

“…Further, some officers may work in "problem areas" (Herbert, 1996), exposed to violent crimes that result in serious injury or death to others. Exposure to death improves a person's ability "to properly respond to death" (Kernic, 2017). Police officers with these experiences might perform better when responding to an active shooter incident because they have received some conditioning allowing them to engage the danger.…”

“…Studies framed within the TMT frequently include a “mortality salience” component. The mortality salience hypothesis argues that if a person's cultural worldview or self-esteem protects him from paralyzing terror, then providing a conscience reminder of his mortality, that is, looking death in the face, (Kernic, 2017) “should increase concern for maintaining that structure” (Solomon et al, 1998: 20). Several studies have supported this assertion, finding that death reminders stimulate terror management mechanisms.…”

The modern military leader as sensemaker on the battlefield

“…It follows from the above that the modern military leader will be at the point of impact; hence, drawing attention to his or her role in sensemaking on the modern battlefield. In support, Kernic (2017) notes that, in the face of death, leadership plays a crucial role in reinforcing and strengthening a certain social and political order for sensemaking, especially at the collective level. Veldsman and Johnson (2016) also mention individual sensemaking and meaning-giving by leaders to themselves as part of what they refer to as 'a strategic value chain perspective on leadership' as an organisational capability intervention.…”