arbiter
JournalsAccount

Wicked Crises and the (In)capacity to Act

Renate E. Meyer

Administrative Science Quarterly2025https://doi.org/10.1177/00018392251363998article
FT50UTD24AJG 4*ABDC A*
Weight
0.52

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.

7 citations

Open via your library →

Cite this paper

https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00018392251363998

Or copy a formatted citation

@article{renate2025,
  title        = {{Wicked Crises and the (In)capacity to Act}},
  author       = {Renate E. Meyer},
  journal      = {Adm.~Sci.~Q.},
  year         = {2025},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00018392251363998},
}

Paste directly into BibTeX, Zotero, or your reference manager.

Flag this paper

Wicked Crises and the (In)capacity to Act

Flags are reviewed by the Arbiter methodology team within 5 business days.

Evidence weight

0.52

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.47 × 0.4 = 0.19
M · momentum0.68 × 0.15 = 0.10
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.