Publication Date

2016

Document Type

Dissertation

Committee Members

Norma Adragna (Committee Member), R. William Ayres (Committee Member), Larry James (Committee Member), Jill Lindsey (Advisor)

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Abstract

High-stakes decision-making represents a critical component of crisis leadership. This study examined the decision-making processes practiced by global, national, and local crisis leaders to identify common decision-making process traits and propose a useful model to guide crisis leaders high-stakes decision-making. This research suggested the hypothesis is correct and inexperienced crisis leaders may benefit from a potential new decision-making model better aligned with the experiences of a panel of national and global crisis decision-making experts. Crises have distinct factors: they are time sensitive, pose significant risks, and require consequential decisions. A sample group of fifteen national and international expert crisis leaders from national security, law enforcement, and government sectors was selected for participation in this study. Seven popular decision-making models were deconstructed into individual process traits and turned in a survey. The experts were asked to identify process traits from the survey that they felt best reflected their approach to decision-making. The results were analyzed and a new model assembled based on their expertise. These findings identified a pattern of practice across the spectrum of crisis leaders and demonstrate the usefulness of a new decision-making model that captures the decision-making process traits of expert crisis leaders. This research suggests the hypothesis is correct and will provide inexperienced crisis leaders a potential new decision-making model drawn from the experiences of a panel of global crisis decision-making experts.

Page Count

205

Department or Program

Leadership Studies

Year Degree Awarded

2016

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