Ian I. Mitroff

Corporate Governance in the Context of Crises: Towards a Stakeholder Theory of Crisis Management

In this paper, we take a step towards developing a stakeholder theory of crisis management. We argue that, in the context of crises, adopting the principles of a stakeholder model of corporate governance will lead companies to engage more frequently in proactive and/or accommodating crisis management behaviour even if these crisis management behaviours are not perceived to maximize shareholder value. We also propose a mechanism that may explain why the stakeholder model may be associated with more successful crisis management outcomes. We conclude by challenging the efficacy of the shareholder view in crisis and crisis-like situations, and call for further theoretical and empirical research.

Imagining an Education in Crisis Management

The crisis management field has matured into a vibrant area of scholarship and teaching. This special issue of the Journal of Management Education takes stock of where we stand with respect to the teaching of crisis management. In her call for papers, the guest editor poses many challenging questions. Having studied crises for the past 25 years, the authors thought it would be useful to reflect on their own personal answers to these questions. They explore definitions of crisis, translate research on crises into skills and knowledge for students, and draw crisis management lessons from other disciplines. The authors discuss how to teach crisis management in a stand-alone course and how to integrate it into other areas of study, and emphasize the development of students’ cultural sensitivity and emotional and experiential learning, as well as their conceptual understanding regarding crises.

A spiritual audit of corporate America: ten years later (spirituality and attachment theory, an interim report)

This paper represents the first in a series of reports of a 10‐year follow up study of the authors’ 1997–1999 study of spirituality in the workplace. Forty‐five responses to a modified questionnaire were analyzed. Attachment Theory was used to analyze the respondents’ views and feelings with regard to a variety of items pertaining to religion and spirituality. Those respondents having a Secure style of attachment were attracted to and had a much more positive view of spirituality than those with other attachment styles. The low percentage of respondents and the fact that those who responded were overwhelmingly Secure limits the study. Nonetheless, a very strong and clear portrait emerges of the link between a Secure attachment style and spirituality. The data show clearly that Secure individuals have a much more positive view of their organizations, and furthermore that their organizations are perceived as more spiritual. A strong implication is that spiritual organizations are thus somehow more Secure. If this implication is borne out by further research, then it means that we have identified a potentially new model for practicing spirituality in the workplace beyond those that were identified in our 1997–1999 study.

Leadership and attachment theory.

Comments on the six articles contained in the special issue of the American Psychologist (January 2007) devoted to leadership, written by W. Bennis; S. J. Zaccaro; V. H. Vroom and A. G. Yago; B. J. Avolio; R. J. Sternberg; and R. J. Hackman and R. Wageman. The current authors opine that the inclusion of attachment theory in the study of leadership could strengthen leadership theories as a whole.

Assessing Systemic Risk

Far too many applications of Risk Analysis RA and Risk Management RM treat risks as though they are distinct and independent. Thus, risks are largely treated as though they can be evaluated and mitigated independently of one another. This paper takes a fundamentally different approach. The basic argument is that there are no such things as independent and separate risks. All risks are part of a larger system of interrelated issues, problems, and risks. Each risk is not only connected to all of the other risks that are parts of the system, but if only in part, each risk is responsible, in causing and triggering of all of the other risks. Using recent findings in the probability of implication Mitroff and Silvers, 2013, a simple mathematical treatment of the interconnectedness of risks is developed. The treatment is capable of being expanded indefinitely to include more complex situations. Finally, the mathematical treatment shows how risks and crises are interrelated.

It Is All About Assumptions: The Critical Role of an Applied Epistemologist

Through examining three extremely important cases—Facebook, Uber, and Airbnb—this chapter illustrates the general kinds of assumptions one has to make in starting new businesses and keeping existing ones successful. Uber and Airbnb are especially noteworthy since they are the quintessence of organizations that have produced disruptive change.

Applied Epistemology, Part 2

This chapter uses the concept of Inquiry Systems (ISs) to reveal deeper aspects of SAST. SAST is fundamentally based on Dialectical Inquiry. That is, in order to ensure that one is not committing Errors of the Third Kind (“solving the ‘wrong problems’ precisely”), one must produce at least two very different versions of all-important problems.

Thinking Like a Crisis Manager

This chapter shows what all organizations need to do to be able to anticipate and plan for the broadest range and types of crises can now strike any organization. It shows how the Jungian personality typology leads to a broader, more comprehensive form of Crisis Management.

Think Like a System: Be an Applied Systems Thinker

This chapter shows how the Jungian personality typology leads to a very different form of systems analysis that is applicable to all organizations. For instance, while traditional Venture Capitalists are primarily interested in (1) how soon a startup can pay back initial investment capital (narrow, short-term economic and technical concerns) and (2) whether an initial idea is truly revolutionary and visionary (broader, long-term economic and technical concerns), every organization also needs to pay attention to (3) the broader needs of its surrounding community (wider human concerns) and (4) the engagement and health of its workers and their families (personal concerns). Over the long haul, all four must work together seamlessly if any organization is to be successful.

Wisdom: How the Leaders of Purpose-Driven Organizations Manage from Their Values

This chapter shows how the CEOs of “purpose-driven organizations” fundamentally manage in accordance with their basic values. In this way, they ensure the loyalty of their employees, customers, suppliers, and a wide range of stakeholders. For instance, the CEOs of “purpose-driven organizations” do not pursue growth and profits for their own sake. In short, they are not willing to do anything that will compromise their basic values.