Meaning maning by public leaders in times of crisis

Presentatie over: "Meaning maning by public leaders in times of crisis"— Transcript van de presentatie:

1 Meaning maning by public leaders in times of crisis
Wouter Jong Dutch Association of Mayors | PhD Tilburg University

2 Definition of “Meaning Making”
“Leaders are challenged to present a compelling story that describes what the crisis is about: what is at stake, what are its causes and what can be done.”

3 What did mayors do in terms of meaning making after the MH17 disaster?
Om te kijken wat burgemeesters hebben gedaan bij de MH17 heb ik in het kader van mijn studie een onderzoek gedaan naar de rol van burgemeesters in de nasleep van de MH17. Met Michel Duckers en Peter van der Velden als co-auteurs. De reden om naar de rol van burgemeesters bij de MH17 te kijken is ook gebaseerd op het feit dat we hiermee 50 burgemeesters in Nederland met elkaar konden vergelijken. Normaliter heb je een crisis met een iemand die de leiding heeft. Hier zijn 50 burgemeesters allemaal op hetzelfde feit gaan handelen. Op 50 plekken in Nederland woonden gezinnen die in het toestel zaten. Dus op 50 plekken in het land hebben burgemeesters invulling gegeven aan hun burgervaderrol.

4 Missile from Russian backed seperatists
Missile from Russian backed seperatists casualties of whom 193 with Dutch nationality.

5 Day of National Mourning.

6 Impact in many communities

7 Results: Mayors are expected to speak A“conditio sine qua non”. Strong appreciation for visits at home Condolences and practical needs Listening ear Mayor as a “mourner-in-chief”

8 Also: Mayors are supposed to bridge the interests of the next of kin on one side and the community on the other. Sometimes, mayors became spokesperson on behalf of family In all cases, communication was key.

9 Current research (submitted)

10 Method. 94 case studies about Dutch crises over the years 1990-2015.
Main research question: depending on context, what drives “meaning making” by public leaders?

11 Results: Framework with four different ‘types’ of meaning making, which emphasize different aspects for public leaders.

12 Ene crisis is de andere niet

13 Wrap-up: Public leaders have a community role as well as a role towards the next-of-kin Public leaders balance between both interests Meaning making behavior is influenced by the collective impact and (political) responsibility