Decision Making Under Pressure

A Crisis Management Sourcebook for Practitioners

Christine Owen, David Phillip Parsons, David Parsons

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN: 9781040677193
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Global Development Studies
• Index: Technology & Engineering

In today's world, the need for effective crisis management extends far beyond traditional emergency response personnel. With an increasing number of people facing high-stakes decisions under pressure, the demand for agile resilient and critical thinking problem-solvers is higher than ever. The aging demographic in emergency services and the high turnover due to burnout makes it challenging to build expertise through experience alone. This book addresses these issues, providing a knowledge base to help individuals and teams operate effectively in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments.

This comprehensive guide covers a range of topics essential for navigating and leading in crises. It offers insights into the trends contributing to today's turbulent landscape and provides strategies for resilient and agile problem-solving. Readers will learn how to lead teams in uncertain conditions, mobilize and manage resources effectively, and enhance coordination among multiple organizations. By using a framework to explore the challenges for the self; the social context and the problem-solving situation, the authors present a series of practical tools to help practitioners navigate through volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity to guide action. It will equip any reader with the skill set to confidently tackle incidents, disasters, and crises in whatever setting they find themselves in.

Decision Making Under Pressure: A Crisis Management Sourcebook for Practitioners is an ideal read for practitioners, educators, scholars, and students looking to enhance their decision-making and leadership skills in high-pressure situations, especially those in occupational health and safety, risk management and organizational resilience, ergonomics and human factors, emergency management, crisis leadership, and professional development.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• List of Tools
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors
• Preface
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 The VUCA Context
• Part 1 The Self
• Part 2 The Social Context
• Part 3 The Situation
• Conclusion
• Index