Organization and Crisis: A CONVERSATION ON THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF GROUP BEHAVIOR UNDER CRISIS

2018 Texas Emergency Management Conference Ronald Lorenzo Prairie View A&M University May 15, 2018

2018 Texas Emergency Management Conference Ronald Lorenzo Prairie View A&M University May 15, 2018

Ronald Lorenzo Prairie View A&M University May 15, 2018 San Antonio – Texas Emergency Management Conference

Organizations and Emergency Situations Organizations during crisis situations behave differently than they do under normal operating conditions.

• What is the academic theory?

• What does professional experience actually tell us?

What in the world is Pechakucha?

Pechakucha

is NOT this

Pechakucha

IS this

Image source: Img source: https://www.drawingtutorials101.com/how-to-draw-ling-ling-from-drawn-together http://pechakucha-sanluisobispo.blogspot.com/ http://www.autoselectonline.com/article/community-support-partner-auto-select-supports-the-pecha-kucha-event-in-appleton

What is Pechakucha, Part 2

• Japanese for “conversation” • 20 slides X 20 seconds • At the end of each pechakucha,

time is made for conversation

1.Leadership HOW AND WHY LEADERSHIP CHANGES DURING A CRISIS

Img src: http://www.historynet.com/george-washington

Leaders have to share

Img src: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/443252788302457988/, https://www.essaywriting.expert/leadership-essay/

• Leaders share authority (e.g. Moses delegating judicial authority to other Israelites)

• Leaders share responsibility (e.g. their subordinates’ problems become their problems)

Defining terms Authority – The likelihood that commands will be obeyed (Max Weber, Economy and Society 1922)

Three types of authority:

•Traditional

•Charismatic

•Rational-legal

Image source: http://hmenf.free.fr/IMG/jpg/fauconnet_13_-_copie-2.jpg, http://biographyworldweb.blogspot.com/2013/04/max-weber-biography-profile-childhood.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus, https://www.government-fleet.com/channel/law-enforcement/news/story/2017/02/fleet-install-team-saves-texas-police-nearly-1m.aspx, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hawk_(Sauk_leader)

Defining terms

Image source: http://hmenf.free.fr/IMG/jpg/fauconnet_13_-_copie-2.jpg, http://biographyworldweb.blogspot.com/2013/04/max-weber-biography-profile-childhood.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus, https://www.government-fleet.com/channel/law-enforcement/news/story/2017/02/fleet-install-team-saves-texas-police-nearly-1m.aspx, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hawk_(Sauk_leader)

Traditional authority – e.g. Black Hawk, Sauk and Fox tribal leader

Charismatic authority – e.g. Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, Moses

Rational-Legal authority – Based on qualifications, not inheritance, not personality alone

A person can have multiple types of authority, part 1

Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_States, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles,_Prince_of_Wales

Two kinds: Primarily rational-legal authority authority ((legally elected and sworn into office) but also charismatic authority (fervent supporters)

Geronimo - Charismatic authority and traditional authority

A person can have multiple types of authority, part 2

Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_States, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles,_Prince_of_Wales

Queen Elizabeth II - All three types

Prince Charles – No charismatic authority

Defining terms Responsibility – Eligibility for punishment when things go wrong (Paul Fauconnet, Responsibility 1928)

Image source: http://hmenf.free.fr/IMG/jpg/fauconnet_13_-_copie-2.jpg, http://biographyworldweb.blogspot.com/2013/04/max-weber-biography-profile-childhood.html,

Responsibility is like a hot potato

Image source: https://www.amazon.com/produce-aisle-Russet-Potato-Large/dp/B000NSKB7Q, https://www.123rf.com/photo_2456409_boy-playing-with-a-ball-and-breaking-a-window.html,

The person held responsible is he or she who cannot pass responsibility to anyone else.

Responsibility People/organizations get blamed for natural disasters without, obviously, causing them

What agency or agencies were held responsible for Hurricane Harvey

First to come by: law enforcement, fire departments, city offices By contact with the disaster: state and federal agencies, private companies

Image source: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjTrbWA3YbbAhVkh-AKHQX7BPcQjxx6BAgBEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fabcnews.go.com%2FUS%2Fhurricane-harvey-photo-texas-nursing-home-residents-waist%2Fstory%3Fid%3D49452958&psig=AOvVaw01skz_Pza6IeZ5No53x6oH&ust=1526439651581255

Leadership in theory Authority & Responsibility

Authority & Responsibility

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Leadership in practice, during a crisis?

Authority & Responsibility

Authority & Responsibility

Authority &

Responsibility Authority &

Responsibility Authority &

Responsibility Authority &

Responsibility

Authority &

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Authority & Responsibility

The Iron Law of Oligarchy – Explanation?

Robert Michels (student of Max Weber, slide #3)

Iron Law of Oligarchy – In any rational system of organization (e.g. a government agency, a corporation), authority tends to accumulate upwards over time, no matter how authority was originally delegated

Iron Law of Oligarchy in Action

Example: Hurricane Harvey and decision-making by a major hospital. Middle level managers locked out of decision to call in extra security guards.

Image source: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/harvey-atlantic-ocean, https://beachgrit.com/2015/06/contempt-ive-got-a-problem-with-security-guards/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PV9Z8qWUek, https://www.fbtb.net/lego/2017/11/08/monetizing-fbtb-support-this-site/

Consequence of the Iron Law of Oligarchy

A corollary – In any rational system of organization (e.g. a government agency, a corporation), responsibility tends to accumulate downwards over time, no matter how responsibility was originally delegated

Image source: http://abc13.com/society/starbucks-manager-out-after-controversial-arrest-of-black-men/3350467/, http://fortune.com/2017/03/30/starbucks-cashier-free-store-headquarters/

Responsibility

Consequence of the Iron Law of Oligarchy

A corollary – In any rational system of organization (e.g. a government agency, a corporation), responsibility tends to accumulate downwards over time, no matter how responsibility was originally delegated

Image source: http://abc13.com/society/starbucks-manager-out-after-controversial-arrest-of-black-men/3350467/, http://fortune.com/2017/03/30/starbucks-cashier-free-store-headquarters/

What are decisions made of? Leadership decisions are based on rational and irrational components: 1. Reference to planning

documents (e.g. NIMS, ICS, company policies)

2. Reference to prior experiences - Thomas Drabek, The Human Side of Disasters (2010) p. 231 Image source:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwip7fXS1obbAhXrRd8KHTjqAEgQjxx6BAgBEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FIncident_Command_System&psig=AOvVaw1vTamcIb0oPlKnMLJrZvLb&ust=1526437954240139