Work

Wicked Crises and the (In)capacity to Act

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: A crisis is a juncture that demands decision and action. We live in times of wicked crises, that is, crises that are non-linearly interlinked; transgress organizational, institutional, and cultural boundaries; and can be addressed only collectively. Our chances to rise to wicked crises depend on our capacity to decide and to act in concert, which is power, according to political philosopher Hannah Arendt. In this essay, in honor of Administrative Science Quarterly ’s 70th volume, I highlight different features of wicked crises and discuss two interrelated forces that weaken and undermine such power: first, organizational fragmentation, which results in governance complexity and fault lines, and second, societal fragmentation, which manifests in growing distrust in core cultural institutions, polarization, the loss of a shared lifeworld, and the rise of authoritarianism. I conclude with a call to action for our discipline.

Source: Administrative Science Quarterly

DOI: 10.1177/00018392251363998

Author: Renate E. Meyer

Institutions: Vienna University of Economics and Business, Copenhagen Business School

Language: English

Topic: Public Administration and Political Analysis

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,900