Successful crisis management aims to minimize the impact of disruptive events that can result in loss of life, equipment, earnings, customers, reputation, market share or other future business prospects. Previously, if a crisis arose, it was often assumed to be the result of a single flawed decision, often by one or more blameworthy individuals. In this view a crisis was an aberration, an unfortunate accident—as much a tragedy for the well-meaning and generally competent leaders who made the decision as for its more direct victims. In contrast in this module we consider the entire system analysing, for example, factors that can precede and influence crisis such as policy changes, regulatory oversight, licensing criteria, financial concerns, environmental change, or organizational culture. Blending theory and practice, students will work in teams, applying course material in the analysis of real-world crisis management challenges.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Analyse causes of crisis at the individual, group, and systemic levels
Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the complexity of leading and managing crisis within organizational cultures and established systems.
Identify and appraise a range of intervention strategies that may be required to manage crisis in today’s complex workplaces.
Examine crisis related organizational emotions—conscious and unconscious—that can undermine the success of leadership efforts
Choose and apply the relevant concepts and tools in the analysis of a crisis management case study and identify lessons learned that can be applied to other organizational environments.
Assessment
34373-01 : Group Report : Group Assessment - Coursework (25%)
34373-02 : Individual Assignment : Coursework (75%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions
Assessments: Individual assignment of 2,500 words (75%). Group report of 1500 words (25%).