Introduction

A crisis is an emergency which disturbs the humanity and leads to instability in the country or elsewhere. The crisis affects an individual, group, organisation or society as the whole. A crisis is a problematic sudden disturbing event that severely harms the settled situation in the country on short notice which triggers a feeling of fear and threat amongst the people. A crisis can arise in an organisation due to technical failure and breakdown of leading resolutions, internet problem, corruption in the software, errors in systems, health care disaster, violence, thefts and terrorism, boycott, strikes for indefinite periods, disputes in-between individual (Livari, 2012). Crises arise as a result of neglecting minor issues at the beginning, which may lead to significant turmoil and create a situation of uncertainty. Illegal behaviour like bribes, frauds, necessary data hiding or interfering, bankrupt status, share market crash also creates a critical condition. The art of dealing with sudden and unwanted events that disturb settled situation, governments, as well as any NGO, Government, aided or private sector organisation refers to the Crisis Management System. It is the process of tackling unexpected and sudden changes in an existing situation is known as crisis management (Crisis Management, 2020).

The need for the Crisis Management System in the present era

Crisis Management System prepares every individual to face unforeseen situations and adverse conditions in the country or elsewhere with courage, compassion and determination. People get adjusted themselves well to the sudden changes and can understand and analyse the causes of the crisis and handle the condition with the best possible way. Crisis Management System helps the governments or any organisation to formulate the best strategies to come out of uncertain situations and also decide the future action plan. This system helps us feel the early signs of crisis, warn the individuals against the resulting consequences and take essential precautions for the same.

Types of Crises

Natural Crisis

Disturbances in the environmental balance which lead to a natural crisis like Cyclones, Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Landslides, Tsunamis, Flood, Drought, such events are generally beyond the limit of human beings. These are an all-natural disaster. Additionally, they are coming with health-care challenges that create crises in the health management system as well as trouble to the economic system.

Financial Crisis

Financial crisis happens when the sudden loss hits country/any organisation/ institute due to bankruptcy, revenue losses, inflation or sudden change of trend or policy can cause the financial crisis in an organisation. Financial crisis may happen anywhere; that situation ultimately converted into recession, people can lose their trust/ job/ bread & butter; if the financial crisis is not handled carefully and quickly. A crisis also arises when government/management fail to maintain emergency fund provision.

Technological Crisis

Technological crisis rises as a result of a failure in technology, intrusion of viruses in the system, breakdown of machine, corrupted and hacked software, slowdown servers, unavailability of firewall or proper antivirus system.

Confrontation Crisis

Confrontation crises arise when people have a conflict with each other or in groups, religions or cast, and they fight amongst themselves, because of internal disputes, lack of communication and coordination. They are not agreeing to terms of each other and eventually seen converted into non-productive acts like boycotts, strikes, riot, fray etc. In such situations, peoples or employees or workers may disobey the police, Government or superiors which disturbs the law an order also and behave starkly for the agreements of the demands.

Crisis of Malevolence

Notorious people create these crises in the society with the help of criminal activities like kidnapping, false rumours to disturb law and order, misbehaviour with females. They may take extreme steps to fulfil their demands.

Crisis of Misdeeds

Government, non-governmental organisation, corporate leaders take individual decisions knowing the harmful consequences towards individuals or stakeholders. In such a case, ruling people ignore the effect of strategies and implement the schemes or decisions for rapid results, i.e. short-term growth instead of a long-term plan. The intelligence bureau and other security agencies when purposely sacrifices data and information that creates misdeed crises; no one predicts the consequences of this. When responsible for peoples accepting bribes, breaking the confidentiality chain, interfere in the vital work essential for the good deeds that are generated misdeeds crises.

Smouldering Crisis

Neglecting minor issues, in the beginning, lead to smouldering crisis later and become a giant problem. Officers often can predict a crisis, but they ignore the same and wait for someone else to action or order of a superior (Bhasin, 2019).

Crises management model

According to Gonzalez-Herrero and Pratt, crisis management includes the following three steps (Crisis Management, 2020).

The first step is to detect initial indicators of crisis. This is for the Government, non-government organisation or corporate leaders to sense the cautionary signs of an emergency and prepare the force and people to face the same with courage, compassion and determination. Supervisors continuously review the performance of their subordinates to identify the actual condition of crisis and report same to the superiors for future decisions. A single person does not allow to ignore alarming singles of the crisis but take immediate preventative action in vogue without waiting for others.

Planning

After detecting the crises, the crises management team should instantly come into action. Ask the peoples not to be panic. Formulate appropriate strategies to avoid or minimise the mess. Round the clock sits for the meeting and discusses with responsible officers and related members regarding the present situation and solution for the same. It is essential to come out with a quick decision to aware peoples and action in force. Everyone should be in alert in emergency circumstances. Officials should make sure the facts and figures are correct. Don’t depend on any presumptions, because that may hurdle in future for tackling the situation.

Adjusting to Changes

People must adapt and adjust new situations and changes for effective functioning soon. It is imperative to analyse the reasons and factual findings of the crisis and cooperate government/organization/ superiors for the goodwill of humanity. Do not repeat the mistakes in future to minimise the present problem that eventually helps to incorporate new effective plans in the system for controlling the situation.

Crises management plan

The crisis management system needs to implement plan gradually during emergencies, whatever mapping is an essential component of the planning. One should have to control the emotional quotient of the situation. Getting aggressive or doing hurry does not solve the problem, instead makes them more critical. It is essential to reason and comes out with effective planning. Crisis Management Plan assembled with a detailed plotting that describes the various actions which need to be taken during the crisis. Every plan should be prepared in a joint venture of superior officers, members of the crises management team and related members to overcome the crises in the best possible way. Crisis management plan helps the peoples to adopt a prescribed line of action during crises with the hands of management or governing body to save the entire world from present critical situation. That plan comprises of role and responsibility of the individual to face the situation and minimises the subsequent harmful effect. This plan is a readily available guideline to effectively act in critical conditions and protect the people or society from the harm and take away them from expected threats and secure future in safe hands.

Formulation of the crisis's management plan should be in the presence of all essential board members and authorities, and every participant should have a voice to participate in the discussion actively. For the formulation of the strategy, first, identify the problematic area and related influencing factors, take assurance that all information team have is accurate and trustworthy, avoid dependency on assumptions, everyone should have a checklist for final confirmation. It always remembers that all identified crises problem should have a possible realistic solution to overcome the present situation with minimum loss (Hoffberg, Stearns-Yoder, & Brenner, 2020; Info Entrepreneurs, 2020).

Crises communication

Crisis communication is part and parcel of a crises management system which deals with the outside individuals to communicate the present situation in very decent mode aiming to protect all involved organisations from a journalist, criminal attacks, unwanted investigations, media enquiry etc. Crises communication expert is diplomat person or team who equipped with all possible solutions and probable crises effects in future. The vital function of this person or group is helping to protect the country, Government or any organisation and stand firmly in adverse conditions, and come out of crises in the best probable way (Boland, Duszak, & Larson, 2014; Hackett, 1994).

Government/ any organisation should not ignore people who are in a problematic situation, meet them and discuss the issue with a probable solution. Don't ignore media, face it with very diligently and control it in possible ways. Don’t criticise the individuals helping in the crises, show concern, share feelings and encourage the people suffering not to lose hope. Effective communication should be fortified at all level during crises condition. Same and correct information must flow throughout all departments and standards in its requisite mode.

The particular communication task force must equip to take quick and effective decisions. The team should think out of the box and devise a back-up plan for the said situation. Communication experts must keep some information confidential and try to protect it from unprofessional and unethical persons who ready to spoil the conditions and create more problems. The governing body should take review time to time of the situation and circulate the guidelines as per circumstances.

In all possible critical situations, it is essential to note that Government or any organisation should effectively communicate during crises. The impressions and perceptions are all altered by digital culture or media instantaneously.

So, the imperatives of speed, accuracy and humaneness are so many matters during crisis communications (Al-Sawai, 2013; Palen, 2008; Verschuur, Spinhoven, Emmerik, & Rosendaal, 2007).

Crises management task force

A Crisis Management task force is constituting to protect Country/government/ any organisation against the adverse effects of a crisis and always in action to protect an organisation for inevitable circumstances. Crisis Management task force is formed to respond instantly to warning signals of crisis and execute appropriate strategy to overcome emergencies (Duval, Opas, Nasca, Johnson, & Weiss, 2017).

Crisis Management task force primarily aimed to

1. Detect the initial signs of crisis.

2. Identify problematic areas.

3. Discuss with superior officers regarding identified areas of critical condition.

4. Formulate crisis management plan to face during emergencies in best possible ways.

5. Encourage the people or society to face crises with courage, compassion and determination; motivate them as possible as best.

6. Help Country/government or organisation to come out of the critical situation and also in a position to face such type of situations in future.

Composition of Crisis Management task force (MSG, 2020).

1. Head of Government/ any organisation/ company

2. Chief executive officers or people closely associated with management

3. Head of various departments / Board of directors

4. Media Advisors

5. Human Resource Representatives

6. Member Secretary

Modes to overcome crises

Take the initiative and find out where things went wrong. Identify the problematic areas and devise proper plans to overcome the situation. Collect correct and relevant information with a confirmation. Members should be optimistic and ready to face the critical situation, never down the moral. Communication must be instrumental in both the side to overcome the crises. Taskforce must be impartially delegating the responsibilities among the people liable for the situation. The taskforce has to take quick decision, keeping imminent risk at the back of mind. Taskforce people must be calm and quiet, handle situation meticulously in tremendous pressure; avoiding rumours in the surrounding. Time to time discussion with superiors and maintain communication with juniors to flow the information smoothly up to the endpoint of the chain. Avoid unnecessary conflicts between the team, superior or inferior and uphold repo in-between the people without criticising and hiding real situation from them (M S G, 2020).

Managing stress during crises

People do not panic and don't get hyper or nervous during the crisis. It is essential to stay calm and quiet, that helps to make better decisions than stress condition. Help other people who are in trouble during critical condition as a human being. So, volunteers feeling very stressed in a crisis (Spinhoven & Verschuur, 2006).

All should always be optimistic about finding out the solution and ignore minor things, not to take them at heart. Lockdown, curfew, emergency, breakdown, bankrupt, epidemic situations etc. may create instability, job crisis, recession, privation and many more that lead stress level in the society (Igarashi & Mori, 2015).

So, to avoid such a stressed situation; officials need to work-out the plan to negotiate with the crisis, make the people comfortable and provide then basis needs as soon as possible. Every individual should work as a team. The people working in critical like health workers, social workers, police, military, paramedical staffs, sanitation worker may work hard for society and get stress because of overtime. The common man has to help them in my time if possible, and officials should take proper care, offers them a break to reduce stress and get refresh back to the position. If possible, provide or use stress buster remedies, discuss the issues time to time and motivate them to make them face a hard time with determination and courage. Social media and media person may play a vital role in such conditions to handle stress in the best possible ways (Diekstra, Engels, & Methorst, 1988; Thormar et al., 2010).

Role of people or society in crises

Peoples should not take the situation lightly, obey the orders and guidelines circulate by the officials' from time to time. The public support is the main factor in the crisis management system that creates more confidence and enthusiasm within all workers who are trying to tackle the crisis. Every individual can sense the early sign of disaster and inform nearby officers or contact helpline. Everyone should encourage effective communication with trustworthy information from top to bottom. The most important part is to avoid spread rumours and fake news through social media. Minimise the conflicts between the peoples, groups, religion, and discrimination based on caste, status, income, sex etc. People be patient and sense humanity to help needy people who are harmed by the present crisis (Management Study Guide, 2020).

Role of officials in crises management

Officials should be confident and steady in crisis and take entire charge of the situation. They should have full control over the public and spreading rumours or fake news in society. One should be in alert position and take precautionary measures, should attend every issue seriously; as if any problem became unattended or taken lightly that transformed in a short period to big disaster in the crisis. Official leader basically should be excellent communicator and administrator, who can encourage effective communication among the community, inspire and assure the people to face the crisis by avoiding fear and uncertainty. Take strict action against breaking or avoiding law an order intentionally, to create nuisance in the society. Officials learned to take quick decision to prevent emergencies, skilled in the identification of important facts helps in developments and functionality of the organisation.Make available resources required by the task force or to assisting peoples in coming out from the situation as early as possible (G, 2020; Tzeng & Yin, 2008).

Officials don't avoid people who are needy in crisis as soon as media peoples who are giving coverage to the entire situation. Most important, leaders should take a lesson from the crisis and aware people for the same, not to commit the same mistake or be conscious from such problems in the future (Matsuoka et al., 2015).

Discussion

The crisis management system has an essential role in the diagnosis of causes and effective planning to direct the things up to the endpoint of the system for prioritised the situation and implementing the policies. Finding was supported by Tzeng as the policies and activities of the medical institute should be given focused on crisis management system (Tzeng et al., 2008). So, there should be cautious while dealing with the crisis in regards to timing, decision making, successful implementation of the plan, effective communication in between officials and people and faith in between them (Tseng, Chen, & Chou, 2005).

The communication is the most effective mode to significantly way out the crisis, as well as supported by Vorobeychi that communication helps people to coordinate (Vorobeychik, Joveski, & Yu, 2017). Besides, Blackburn said that the meaningful and informative interaction between peoples is imperative and pragmatic constituent to get the positive effects at different level (Blackburn, Ousey, & Goodwin, 2019). Thus task force has to familiarise themselves about the importance of communication. Stress management is a vital factor in a crisis in health-care through mutual understanding to reduce the stressed environment (Happell et al., 2013).

This is true of stress management system for workers or superiors in work culture for emergencies (Yuwanich, Sandmark, & Akhavan, 2016). Extreme stress situation tends to reduce job performance, workability, depression, conflicts between colleague or superiors that leads to mismanagement and develop more critical conditions as a result of lack of stress management system (Kazi & Haslam, 2013). So, it is the responsibility of people or employee as well as management or governing body to assess the situation at the earliest, discuss with the task force officials and plan accordingly to combat crisis condition successfully (Tzeng, 2004) with minimum loss.

Conclusions

Crisis management comprises action and procedures which help any organisation as well as peoples to assess and understand causes which may lead to crisis. Crisis management enables an organisation and its people to act effectively in a crisis. With the help of effective coordination in-between peoples and officials, organisation overcome the crisis. At the time of crisis, peoples should communicate efficiently with each other and try their best to overcome the situation and follow the guidelines of official time to time. Organisation officials should be in regular follow up with the task force, peoples, other members as well as media to avoid incoordination and mismanagement. So, all these factors are very most important to tackle the crisis.

Acknowledgement

Dean, Mahatma Gandhi Ayurved College, Hospital and Research Centre, Salod (H), Wardha

Conflict of Interest

Nil.

Funding support

Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be University).