Tête-à-Tête

Author(s):  
Heidi Hardt

Chapter 2 describes what institutional memory is and provides an overview of the book’s theoretical argument. The chapter begins by conceptualizing institutional memory. The subsequent section introduces the book’s theoretical argument, which builds on assumptions from rationalist institutionalist theories. Depending on an IO’s design, formal learning infrastructure can inadvertently deter IO elites from sharing their knowledge about strategic errors. Elites respond by choosing instead to socially construct memory through three informal processes: transnational interpersonal networks, private documentation and socializing during crisis management exercises. The chapter then identifies key premises of the book’s argument. These four premises concern the impact of the design of formal learning processes, elites’ built-in incentives to share, the role of an active secretariat and sources that motivate elites to act. The chapter concludes by identifying predictions, based on the book’s argument and by describing conditions under which the argument should hold.

Author(s):  
Heidi Hardt

Chapter 7 explains why NATO’s institutional memory continues to develop in the way that it does – despite formal learning processes being underutilized. Findings in this chapter draw on the author’s survey-based interviews with 120 NATO elites. The chapter begins by arguing that NATO’s organizational culture locks-in elites’ preference for relying on informal processes and avoiding formal processes. Key characteristics of NATO’s culture posed challenges for identifying and reporting strategic errors. The organization’s norm of consensus made formal agreements on past strategic errors difficult. Moreover, NATO’s focus on reaction over retrospection and a broader culture of blame aversion provided elites with little incentive to break the tradition of reliance on informal processes for memory development. Elites described feeling continuous pressure to react to the crisis at hand and treat past crises as unique – leaving little reason to invest in learning from past failures.


2020 ◽  
pp. 105-122
Author(s):  
Svetlana Cebotari ◽  
Selena Stejaru

Currently, we experience a conditional reality imposed by the COVID19 pandemic, with both immediate and long-lasting repercussions on the international system and the behavior of each state. For this reason and because the new virus has a dynamic evolution in time and space, research of the impact of the new virus is needed not only from a biogenetic perspective but also in the context of other fields, including the international relations realm. The events we are witnessing at the present challenge to keep up with transformations taking place in the international arena, especially those in the field of virology. As epidemics over time, viruses that cause them to change and occur constantly remain only the fact that they will always influence not only interpersonal relations but impose conditions for new realities in the system of international relations. This article aims to highlight the main gaps in the work of the institution responsible for maintaining peace and security in the international arena, especially in the context of the COVID-19 crisis.


Author(s):  
M. A. Rentroia-Bonito ◽  
J. Jorge ◽  
C. Ghaoui

Technology-rich environments are assuming a key role in the individual learning processes. Still, one of the major IT challenges identified in the education field is to establish e-learning as a credible and viable complement to face-to-face education. This represents a paradigm shift in the way of learning, which is driving changes at individual, process, institutional, and societal levels. However, despite last-decade advances in the application of usability principles in system design, there is still a need to better understand the people-technology fit in learning contexts. Current results, gaps, and issues define the challenges that dictate new requirements. Among these new requirements, minimizing the impact of the distance factor on communication and learning effectiveness calls for alternatives approaches. Due to the importance of communication among instructor and students in learning, the scope of this work focuses on exploring the role of emotions within the user and learning-support technology fit.


2022 ◽  
pp. 188-205
Author(s):  
Erkan Çiçek ◽  
Uğur Gündüz

Social media has been in our lives so much lately that it is an undeniable fact that global pandemics, which constitute an important part of our lives, are also affected by these networks and that they exist in these networks and share the users. The purpose of making this hashtag analysis is to reveal the difference in discourse and language while analyzing Twitter data and to evaluate the effects of a global pandemic crisis on language, message, and crisis management with social media data. This form of analysis is typically completed through amassing textual content data then investigating the “sentiment” conveyed. Within the scope of the study, 11,300 Twitter messages posted with the #stayhome hashtag between 30 May 2020 and 6 June 2020 were examined. The impact and reliability of social media in disaster management could be questioned by carrying out a content analysis based totally on the semantic analysis of the messages given on the Twitter posts with the phrases and frequencies used.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Corneliu Bjola ◽  
Costas M. Constantinou

The objective of this forum is to provide a framework for intellectual exchange and debate about the role of diplomacy in negotiating global crises and the impact of such crises on the evolution of diplomatic leadership, identity and method. Drawing on theories of leadership, decision-making, power and crisis management, the five contributions to this forum invite readers to reflect upon the analytical implications of theorizing crisis diplomacy.


Author(s):  
Heidi Hardt

Chapter 8 offers a summary of the findings discussed in earlier chapters and directions for future research. The chapter first reiterates the argument that institutional memory develops in international organizations (IOs) from elites’ reliance on informal processes, such as networks, because formal learning infrastructure can disincentivize reporting. The chapter then identifies the book’s theoretical and empirical contributions to scholarship on IOs, organizational learning and organizational change. Subsequent sections proceed to discuss how the book’s argument can be applied to explain institutional memory in other IOs beyond NATO. The chapter then presents a series of policy recommendations to strengthen institutional memory. Examples include realigning incentives in the institutional design of organizations’ formal learning infrastructure and means of supporting existing informal learning processes. The chapter then provides concluding remarks about the importance of transnational interpersonal networks for protecting IOs’ institutional memory of the past to prevent future failures.


Author(s):  
Heidi Hardt

In crisis management operations, strategic errors can cost lives. Some international organizations (IOs) learn from these failures, whereas, others tend to repeat them. Given high rates of turnover and shorter job contracts, how do IOs such as NATO retain any knowledge about past errors? Institutional memory enhances prospects for reforms that can prevent future failures. The book provides an explanation for how and why IOs develop institutional memory in international crisis management. Evidence indicates that the design of an IO’s learning infrastructure (e.g. lessons learned offices and databases) can inadvertently disincentivize IO elites from using it to share knowledge about strategic errors. Under such conditions, IO elites - high-level civilian and military officials - view reporting to be risky. In response, they prefer to contribute to institutional memory through the creation and use of informal processes such as transnational interpersonal networks, private documentation and conversations during crisis management exercises. The result is an institutional memory that remains vulnerable to turnover since critical knowledge is highly dependent on a handful of individuals. The book draws on the author’s interviews and a survey experiment with 120 NATO elites, including assistant secretary generals, military representatives and ambassadors. Cases of NATO crisis management in Afghanistan, Libya and Ukraine serve to further illustrate the development of institutional memory. Findings challenge existing organizational learning scholarship by indicating that formal learning processes alone are insufficient to ensure learning occurs. The book also offers policymakers a set of recommendations for strengthening the learning capacity of IOs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 502-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aikaterini Vassilikopoulou ◽  
Apostolos Lepetsos ◽  
George Siomkos

Purpose This paper aims to examine consumer reactions during product-harm crises by measuring the impact of perceived risk, blame and trust on consumer purchase intentions. Moreover, the role of perceived crisis severity is examined as affecting the three main endogenous variables of the conceptual framework. Design/methodology/approach The study uses the real-scenario approach for empirically testing the proposed conceptual framework. Participants were called to assess the story of a defective product (i.e. a soother that was recently recalled). Findings Results of the equation modeling demonstrate that perceived severity significantly influence trust and blame while it does not affect perceived risk. In addition, trust, blame and perceived risk notably affect purchase intentions. Practical implications Based on the study’s results, companies could implement appropriate strategies for reducing the negative consequences of a product-harm crisis. Originality/value The paper presents four key originality traits: Crisis management from the consumer perspective has received little attention. The relationship between trust, perceived risk and purchase intentions has not been explored in the crisis management field. Attribution of blame is a new variable added to the perceived risk-trust-purchase intention model. Perceived severity is examined as a moderator affecting the main endogenous variables of the conceptual framework.


2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 188-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Catherine Zimmermann ◽  
Conny Herbert Antoni

Abstract. How do coaching interventions work? This study contributes to process-outcome research in coaching by examining the impact of coaches’ problem-specific interventions on coaching results. Paying particular attention to the mediation processes in coaching seems to be a promising research area, which has received little attention to date. Using several points of measurement over time and taking nested data structure into account, 33 coaching dyads were analyzed using longitudinal multilevel analyses. Results showed a general coaching effect as well as the mediating role of learning processes. As expected, clients’ perceived goal attainment increased over the course of the coaching sessions. Furthermore, problem-specific interventions by the coach, especially clarification of meaning and mastery/coping, led to an increase in goal attainment mediated by clients’ perceived learning experience (double-loop learning). Our results underscore the importance of stimulating learning processes by specific interventions to improve coaching effectiveness.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 541-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Nizamidou ◽  
Fotis Vouzas ◽  
Katerina Gotzamani

Purpose The purpose of the paper is twofold: first, to examine the interaction of quality, safety and crisis management (CM), and second, to explore the role played by an HR department in terms of CM. Design/methodology/approach This paper consists of two parts: theoretical and empirical. The theoretical part follows the approach of an extended literature review. The empirical part illustrates the statistical analysis of the obtained data from Greek organizations that employ the largest number of employees, regardless of their business sector. Findings The statistical analysis allowed the authors to confirm their main research hypotheses. First, it showed the interrelationship that exists between safety, quality and CM. Second, it presented the impact of this relationship on human resources and the vital role of HR department, in case of a crisis. Practical implications Organizations and their top management can review and redesign their CM procedures according to the findings of this survey, aiming a fast recovery and a return to normalcy. Originality/value Based on the literature review, there has been a little research work on the interrelationship between safety, quality and the level of CM familiarity and the role of HR department at the times of crisis. The added value of attaining this goal may become a motivational element for any organization and its top management to continue investing more in safety, quality and CM issues.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document