Course Title: Doctor of Philosophy in Management

Thesis Title: Crisis Leadership in Major Sporting Events: An Exploratory Study in Organisational Learning

Supervisors: Prof Byron Keating and Prof Phil Lewis

Abstract -

This study aims to utilize a multi-disciplinary approach involving Crisis Leadership, Chaos Theory and Complexity theory, to attempt to initiate an advanced understanding in Sports Events Organising Committee members to recognize the state of constant adaptation their organisational systems exist in today. By drawing on elements of complexity theory, the study seeks to analyze how a leader’s cognition may improve their cognitive complexity when dealing with and understanding the non-linear and dynamic nature of the systems they work within. The nature of the study is to collect qualitative data to fill the research gap regarding how a Sports Event Organising Committee may utilize a different leadership paradigm to improve their crisis management skills, as well as measure the effects of implementing anticipatory systems on the organisations behaviour. Data collected includes the results of a facilitated, collaborative work group session between researcher and participants whose aim was to attempt to build a crisis anticipation system specific to their crisis management needs based on complexity and chaos theory elements. The aim is to create a methodological framework that enhances cognitive and behavioural skills in dealing with organizational crisies specific to the event industry. These crises can be anything that occurs across the external and internal ennvironments of the organisation and affects it at multiple levels. The objective is to collaboratively engage the leadership core of the specific event with a qualitative methodology aimed at building their knowledge base relating to Crisis Leadership and proactive preventitive planning behaviours for leaders.