Research: CRISIS MANAGEMENT
As the global pandemic, COVID-19 or coronavirus, rages political leaders’ skills in crisis management are being tested. Many countries are in a state of unrest and citizens are depending on the leadership and decision- making capabilities of their respective political leaders. The principal-agent theory explains how political leaders are entrusted with the responsibility of the country and its citizens as they enter office to serve the people. Thus, they become servants or rather public servants expected to work towards the best interest of the population and maintain the development and order within society. During a crisis, political leaders are responsible for the welfare of the country and must make decisions thought to be most beneficial to its people and most effective for the well-being of the nation. Crisis Management is a pivotal skill in political leadership and requires a detailed overview of what the term is, what it entails and how it is being practiced in today’s society via a look at the response of Jamaica and the United States of America’s political leaders to the current global pandemic.
In regards to political leadership, crisis management refers to actions taken in response to emergencies or difficult situations (Cambridge Business English Dictionary, n.d.). These crises are often unpredictable and require swift action due to possible repercussions. A crisis affects the lifestyle of individuals, disrupting their usual routines and causing panic or stress. Hence, pressure is put on political leaders to restore the country to its original state. Their level of effectiveness in doing so is usually dependent on how quickly they can, while producing the best possible results. Crisis management is a response to situations such as terrorist attacks, states of emergency, natural disasters and economic threats among others. It refers to the action taken by political leaders and the plans or remedies put in place to deal with and overcome a national threat.
A political leader who possesses the skill of effective crisis management is characterized by good communication with the general public during the crisis, timely response to the crisis and initiative regarding resources, whether human or otherwise, necessary during the crisis. Crisis Management may entail three (3) stages: pre-crisis, crisis response and post-crisis (“Crisis Management and Communications,” 2007). Pre-crisis deals with how political leaders opt to prevent and prepare for the situation, crisis response refers to how political leaders respond to the situation and post-crisis is how political leaders handle the country after a crisis. In crisis management, there are steps that a political leader may follow to prove skillful in handling such situations. These include having a plan, transparency, keeping the population abreast of what is happening, continuous updates and utilizing social media.
Crisis management is necessary to maintain order and safety within a country. Political leaders must display the skill of crisis management to avoid chaos among the general public, the consequences of misinformation and the dangers of ignorance by citizens. Crisis management is a critical skill as without political leaders’ efforts or regulations the public is left to do what they believe is most effective and without collective action, disruptions occur. This is destructive when in association with the public being misinformed. It is often encouraged that the public listen to the information presented by political leaders as they acquire details and all updates providing the public with accurate information as credible sources. Misinformation causes confusion and wrongful action which may put individuals in danger. Likewise, an uninformed or unaware society is vulnerable to the negative effects of a crisis. Therefore, crisis management is a critical skill necessary for political leaders. Furthermore, how well a political leader handles such situations determines the publics’ confidence in his or her capabilities, potential and
leadership. A political leader who demonstrates effective crisis management will be trusted by his people and thus the population is more likely to adhere to his orders, in return, safeguarding not only the country’s people but the environment and economy as poor crisis management may be detrimental to not only the reputation of political leaders but to the society.
Machiavelli’s political theory suggests that skillful crisis management occurs when political leaders rule independently of religion and do what is required of them. His theory implies that political leaders should protect the country and its members placing it higher than any single individual. He notes that Political leaders, being agents, are responsible for protecting
the well-being of citizens and enforcing order in society (University of Mumbai, n.d.). Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, has demonstrated skillful crisis management as a political leader during the coronavirus pandemic. His communication via social media and traditional media with the general public is effective in keeping the population aware and up to date. The public is told the most important and valuable information but may query about secrets kept
within the system regarding a period of crisis. However, what is withheld, if at all, is often to the advantage of the public to not cause chaos or panic among citizens. The government has said what is being done in the best interest of the country and have outlined the regulations to follow
and noted the consequences. The Prime Minister’s quick response to the pandemic has given the country one of the lowest records of the virus in a country with confirmed cases. Jamaica currently has fifty-three (53) cases compared to the United States two-hundred and seventy- seven thousand (277,000) (Worldometer, 2020). Jamaica’s political leader’s ability to control the spread of the virus in such a small country proves him and his political party skillful in crisis management compared to the attempt of political leaders in the US, who have recorded thousands of deaths so far. Prime Minister Andrew Holness banned flights from hard-hit places and instructed for those entering the island from infected countries to be immediately quarantined. Along with this, advisories are constantly posted in an attempt to prevent the spread of the virus. Religious groups were asked to hold online services via modern communication technologies or members of various religious groups may have isolated devotions at their place of stay while observing social distance protocols. Also, there was an option given to Jamaicans overseas who may return to Jamaica within a given time frame and if not, would remain outside the country for an uncertain period. The location of the patient who was first confirmed to have the virus after coming from the United Kingdom, was immediately quarantined, likewise, sections of Clarendon have been quarantined (“Sections of Clarendon,” 2020). All island curfews were added to the numerous regulations put in place by the Prime Minister to combat community spreading of the virus (Morris, 2020). Air and seaports were also on lockdown given the current circumstance to limit the number of imported cases of the virus.
This method of crisis management has proved effective and a critical skill necessary by political leaders as it has helped the Jamaican Prime Minister to guide the public and navigate towards controlling and getting rid of the health threat. In comparison to the Unites States political leader President Donald Trump’s response, it is possibly associated with the rising confirmed cases and death toll in the US. President Donald Trump initially called the virus a hoax used by the opposition in political warfare and treated it as such, but later said he now takes the threat seriously (Epstein, 2020). America was slow on its ban of flights from China (where the first case was said to originate) when compared to Jamaica and other countries such as Italy and North Korea.
To conclude, the comparisons prove the effectiveness in crisis management and how critical a skill it is for political leaders. It generates trust in political leaders by their citizens and in turn, helps to maintain order and encourage safety. Crisis Management is not only a tool in the overall agenda of political leaders but an important skill to put in action when necessary to ensure positive results or demonstrate a level of hope for members of the population while working to minimize the chance of panic and disruption.
