Mitroff (2005)

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The effects of abnormal crises

The psychological effects of major crises is a subject in which the author is very interested. He argues that they shatter some of our most fundamental beliefs about people and society.

Assumptions we make help us in the construction of reality and what we perceive as truth and meaning. When these assumptions are broken we become dysfunctional, as the meaning of our lives has evaporated.

Feelings of betrayal play a major part in all major crises.

General set of assumptions:

The world is safe and secure
The world is good and just; the unjust will receive appropriate and swift punishment
The world is stable and predictable; the way things are today will be what they are tomorrow. If crisis does occur the world will return to what it was before - that is, fixed and mended
Crises are limited in scope and magnitude; they will not cut across all levels of society
People are inherently good, although the world can easily be split into "good" guys and "bad guys"
I am good, competent and loyal. The crisis was unintentional, the perpetrators feel guilty or remorse and deserve to be forgiven
I could not have known about the crisis in advance

Defence mechanisms

Victim and the villain

Complexity

Four styles of thinking

General Motors - outdated responses to crises

Needed action

A well-designed organisation

Spirituality

Benetton-Turkey

Corporate emotional intelligence

CM and betrayal

Myths

Additional myths