CRISIS DECISION-MAKING - THE CENTRALIZATION THESIS REVISITED

This essay reconsiders the well-known thesis that, under conditions of crisis, administrative decision making becomes centralized. It discus ses the theoretical and administrative under-pinnings of this thesis a nd focuses on the role of small groups in crisis decision making, cent ral government intervention in crisis situations, and crisis governmen t doctrines. Using findings from recent comparative case research in c risis management, alternative patterns of governmental response to cri ses are outlined. These include formal and informal decentralization, non-decision making, and paralysis. This article concludes with a set of hypotheses that outline the conditions for the emergence of alterna tive structural patterns in coping with crises and a call for more con tingent and reflective thinking about crisis management issues.