Seeking a common definition of "Crisis"

[Van]

After bandying the word about in professional conversation, another group I talk with had a blinding flash of the obvious; we didn't check to make sure we had a common definition of "crisis". Sure enough, we didn't. Of course, since I opened my mouth...

I've looked up several dictionary definitions, and that's all well and good, but without refering to dictionaries, thesauri, etc. what are the defining characteristics of 'crisis' to you? What distinguishes crisis from routine or unexpected but not crisis? As I've said, I've heard several thoughts, but I'd like to hear from a different group of folks who are smarter than me.

Thanks!

[MattM]

Sarcasm on:

A crisis occurs when there is a lull in the overnight ratings for a cable television news program or syndicate. The loss of market share and advertising revenue will subsequently cause a situation to become a crisis, complete with specialized graphics, hyper-activity in the "background" newsroom, and on-location reporters.

Sarcasm off:

Just as the Center for Disease Control has specific characteristics that differ pandemics from epidemics, which state entity would be charged with investigating a situation and making the declaration of its nature (rescue op, situation, crisis, disaster, etc)? My first guess is Department of Homeland Security, but that is not necessarily the best option.

[Tom Odom]

After bandying the word about in professional conversation, another group I talk with had a blinding flash of the obvious; we didn't check to make sure we had a common definition of "crisis". Sure enough, we didn't. Of course, since I opened my mouth...

I've looked up several dictionary definitions, and that's all well and good, but without refering to dictionaries, thesauri, etc. what are the defining characteristics of 'crisis' to you? What distinguishes crisis from routine or unexpected but not crisis? As I've said, I've heard several thoughts, but I'd like to hear from a different group of folks who are smarter than me.

Thanks!

I know that we used to have a multi-stage system for intra-Army staff and interservice and interagency crisis management. Committees, working groups, etc etc all grew according to the nature of the crisis as did the attendant rank structure. I would assume (there's that A-word!) something still exists.

There was in all of this a level of leadership specified to declare a "crisis" in the first place. My own personal experience in the 1990 Iraq-Kuwait crisis was that the intel agencies(CIA, DIA) and State INR had in house teams that grew as we became more certain an Iraqi invasion would take place. As the current intel analyst for the ARSTAFF on the Mid East, I was the Army's crisis group until a deployment order was issued and the Army Operations Center established a crisis working group.

Long winded answer I recognize, one I am not sure is of direct value.

Tom

[slapout9]

I am not sure where I heard this or if I have it right but it was something like this. When an existing system is unable to cope with a current event in which there will be heavy loss of life and property.I think this came from a risk management class I went to some time ago but I am not sure and I may have screwed it up.

[selil]

I love ontological semantics...

What is crisis?

We can describe crisis within the scope of a particular situation that we define fully. There is a big difference between the scope and definition of the crisis at homeland security, and the fact I'm creating a crisis ruining my daughters life on a daily basis (according to her).

We can define what is NOT a crisis within the scope of a particular situation (everything is fine, cue the Jimmy Buffet music, Margaritas for everybody).

We can look at what is like a crisis (me ruining my daughters life, my son actually buying a car, Manson escaping prison) and come up with similarities in the situations.

We can look at the make up of the word and define it according to common use. Likely making nobody happy and arguing much.

On most message boards we can just put up a Wikipedia entry and call it good, of course I'll go edit the wiki entry to say (and john doe is a fool too).

In ontologies we can look at what kind of object it is, verb, noun, etc.. define it as a mental object, physical object, etc. and keep on going.

Chances are the word is an over used modifier in most peoples languages and it has NO meaning. That's a hard one to accept but it becomes true of buzz words rapidly. Leading of course to euphemisms and other perversities of language.

[Dominique R. Poirier]

Since I found your question as original as amusing I tried myself on it in introducing a bit of humor in my reflection.

Crisis is a word of bad omen expressing a relatively short lapse of time of variable duration during which events of chaotic nature, or perceived as such, arise; and whose outcome is either a return to the situation preceding it or a material or/and immaterial loss.

Also:

Crisis expresses a human negative perception of fast incidence of chaos or of an event or a chain of events perceived as such.

Or still shorter:

Crisis expresses the spontaneous appearance of chaos in an organized environment.


P.S.: is there a prize, or will you name a winner?

[selil]

Crisis can also be ....

That time between saying "oh no!" and "I have no recollection of those events".

[Van]

All who posted; Thank you very much for the assistance!

When I started looking at this, I would get as far as "time sensitive" and scratch my head. Crisis denotes a sense of urgency to respond, but can be natural or man-made, obvious and slowly approaching or sudden and unexpected. The risk to human life can be immediate or extremely indirect. The outcome may or may not be altered by human actions. The outcome made be made significantly worse by human action (Doh!).

When I wear a uniform, the answer is easy; whatever the President or officers with authority delegated by the president identify as a crisis (one of the mixed blessings of being an officer in democratic nation's military). But as a citizen or a policy maker, I can't take this 'easy out'.

I think the greatest insight came from your collective sarcasm, cynicism, and wit. As Jerry Pournelle described 'surprise' as an event that takes place in the mind of a commander, 'crisis' also is an event that takes place in the mind. 'Crisis' is also a powerful tool for shaping perceptions of an issue, and like fire and so many other tools, can be used for good or evil.

With your permissions, I'd like to quote y'all in a project I'm working on. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, just drop me a line.

Thanks again for all your help.

Van

[Van]

P.S. There is no one winner, if you had fun, you won, and I hope it's an n way tie.

Crisis expresses a human negative perception of fast incidence of chaos or of an event or a chain of events perceived as such.

...May be closest to the intellectual and professional mark,

but

A crisis occurs when there is a lull in the overnight ratings

may have captured a more viscaral understanding of the reality.

Thanks again!
V

[Jedburgh]

It seems I've entered into the discussion a bit late, but I figured I'd still throw this out.....

Not really a clear, common definition, but the International Crisis Behavior Project states that a crisis includes three conditions stemming from a change in a nation's internal or external environment: threat to basic values, sharp increase in the probability of military conflict, and finite response time. These conditions are perceptions held by national-level decision makers. The ICB definition of a crisis also allows for intrawar crises, in which case the second condition is replaced by a high probability of a deterioration in the military situation.

Of course, there are many different types of crises, and the above is focused on the international arena. The definition provided by Slapout, When an existing system is unable to cope with a current event in which there will be heavy loss of life and property, is from the risk management field, as he stated. However, with only slight changes, variations on that definition are put out in other arenas as well - such as in LE Crisis Negotiations, when the existing system unable to cope is a human being, who then reacts in a violent manner, taking hostages, establishing an armed barricade or simply threating suicide. At this low level, there may not be "heavy" loss of life and property, but the threat has come to pass due to pyschological inability to cope with an event (usually a series of negative events) and again, the violent reaction moving the situation into crisis is due to the perception by the individual that there are no other options.

[Van]

And thank you Jedburgh!

The ICB's focus on military action is not suprising, but I was trying to think more broadly (what is a platoon or division of infantry going to do about the "crisis in third world healthcare" or the "global warming crisis"?). I sure noone who's been following SWC/SWJ for any time will ignore the strategic relevance of these issues, but conventional military power is not relevent to things that have been refered to as crises.

threat to basic values, ... and finite response time

I like the "Threat to basic values", and I think the finite response time has been well addressed.

The ICB certainly confirms the consensus that 'crisis' is a perception.

Thanks again,
V