Leadership Vacuum Research Articles

The Revival of an Old Narrative to Counter Terrorism: The “Balkh School Approach” to Neutralizing the Neo-Kharijite Narrative in the Islamic World

The purpose of this article is to explain why, despite numerous collective and individual efforts, states have failed to eradicate terrorism produced by Islamic extremism. What alternatives to present paradigms possibly exist in the battle against terrorism and extremism? Through its neo-Kharijite and takfiri character, the irreconcilable extremism that developed at the end of the Cold War due to a leadership vacuum in the Islamic world, has caused widespread unease among Muslims and others. As a result, the current study approaches the topic of countering extremism from an entirely new perspective, which is nearly unprecedented in the literature. Because the current ways of combating extremism are either war or spreading alternate narratives. However, this piece resurrects a historic practice of weakening extremism. The revival of the Balkh school as an existent and viable alternative narrative in the Islamic world might diminish extremist and takfiri discourses. The Balkh school is a good opportunity to revive a peaceful tradition among Muslims in order to end extremism. A good and better way is to update and expand successful and effective narratives of the past that have shown significant achievements in the field of moderation and reciprocity with the use of modern tools.

China’s economic connectivity to the world economy

The ambition of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is to revive the silk road of Roman times which was used by merchants to carry trade across Eurasia. China’s proclaimed aspiration is to reconnect to the world through its ancient trade corridors, and to emphasize its role as a world trade power. Should the BRI or “new silk road” be understood as efforts from President Xi Jinping to project China’s power into both Eurasia and at the global level? Should it moreover be understood as China’s step forward to fill the leadership vacuum left by a perceived weakening USA in terms of international relations? The present economic climate is characterised by uncertainty and turbulence at the global level, with some economies shifting towards protectionist practices, and others, such as the United Kingdom, trying to regain some international recognition outside the EU. This turbulent climate appears to benefit Beijing who can position itself as a new leader in the global political economy, notably through its BRI. The article discusses the issues raised by China’s ambition to shape the current international economic order.

Proxy Wars. The Deutsches Museum and the Peaceful Atom

The article discusses presentations of nuclear power in the Deutsches Mu- seum in Munich from the 1950s to the 1980s. The discussion serves a dou- ble purpose in that it discusses the museum’s history in its own right, with particular attention to the glaring leadership vacuum that allowed things to go off rails repeatedly, while at the same time treating museum debates as a microcosm of Germany’s nuclear history. Except for a 1955 guest exhibition in the context of the U.S. “Atoms for Peace” initiative, nuclear power received rather lackluster treatment until the 1970s. Growing attention was a result of the heated debates over civil nuclear power that saw determined efforts from industrialists and other pro-nuclear leaders to enlist the Deutsches Museum in the defense of an embattled technology. The result was an unabashedly partisan exhibit that was opened under police protection in 1978 and closed after a grace period. A second initiative took place in the context of culture wars over a perceived hostility towards science-led progress that the Bavarian prime minister Franz Josef Strauß, the towering figure of Bavarian politics in the 1980s, stoked with delight. The article chronicles a surprisingly inept attempt to use the museum’s resources in the fight for a controversial nuclear reprocessing plant in Wackersdorf. The attempt made national headlines and failed in the face of widespread protest. Culminating in 1986/87, the conflict mirrors the gradual transformation of the nuclear debate in post-war Germany: what had previously been a struggle over real-world projects increasingly bore the marks of a symbolic conflict over cultural capital.

Potential State Responses to Climate Change in Post-COVID World

COVID-19 followed lockdown in countries have significantly reduced the level of global carbon emissions. However, this reduction in emissions is evaluated as a temporary phenomenon as emissions from countries are expecting to grow rapidly once the pandemic imposed restrictions are fully withdrawn. If emissions from countries are growing unabatedly in a post pandemic world that would adversely impact the implementation of the international climate change agreements, particularly the Paris Climate Agreement. Paris Climate Change Agreement which came into form in 2015 is the only international climate change agreement existing today to regulate global carbon emissions from all major economies. Majority of the nation-states have ratified the Paris Climate Agreement. However, the climate leadership vacuum that has created with the decision of the US to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and the current challenges that COVID-19 is posing to world multilateral order are adversely influencing the course of global climate change negotiations and thereby worsening the climate crisis.

The Roots of the Sadrist Movement: Muhammad al-Sadr, Religious Authority, and Sociopolitical Practice

Based on Ba'th Party archival records, interviews, and secondary sources, this article aims to reconstruct and contextualize the story of Muhammad Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr, the Shi'i cleric who led a grassroots religious movement in the 1990s that still plays a major role in Iraq. The article argues that the Sadrist movement and its project of social Islamization were a result of Sadr's enlistment of grassroots support to challenge his rivals in the Shi'i religious field during a leadership vacuum amid the decline of the clerical establishment's influence.

Police Powers and Public Assemblies: Learning from the Clapham Common ‘Vigil’ during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract The policing of peaceful public assembly during the Covid-19 pandemic has been one of the most central challenges to police legitimacy. This is arguably because mass gatherings are assumed to carry a high risk of contagion yet, at the same time, peaceful public assembly is a protected human right. In this article, we explore this issue by using a case study to provide a detailed chronological interactional analysis of the policing operation surrounding a highly controversial public assembly that took place on Clapham Common in March 2021 in London, England. We explore the utility of a research and theory-based model for public order policing in pandemics as a framework for understanding the way the event evolved and identifying what lessons can be learnt for policing assemblies, both in future pandemics and more generally. We contend that ambiguity in the application of emergency powers and the potential for heavy fines to be applied using the legislation created a divergence between stakeholders and culminated in a leadership vacuum among protesters. Moreover, the context of acute political sensitivity led to a highly centralized public order operation that limited the capacity of police to enact dialogue-based solutions when leadership (re)emerged during the event. We conclude by discussing the implications of our analysis for understanding the inherent dangers of regulatory frameworks that place too heavy a burden of discretionary power into the hands of police in determining whether public assemblies are ‘lawful’, and under what conditions they can occur.

Trust, leadership and conflict: the impact of HR practices during family firm M&As

Purpose Effective leadership can be success-critical in mergers and acquisitions. The purpose of this study is to present what human resource (HR) practice can offer if such leadership is absent and puts the success of the merger or acquisition at risk. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a recent merger, this paper clarifies the interplay between trust, leadership and conflict. Findings HR can take an active role in supporting top management during major organizational change by avoiding a leadership vacuum; effectively communicating promises by the new owner; and offering support in interfamilial conflicts during the integration phase. Originality/value Supporting a smooth exit for the target owner, assisting the owning family in their communication activities and taking conflicts within the family seriously, all help to effectively merge two family firms.

Pakistan Faces External Security Threats From Afghanistan and India

Pakistan's insecurity and uncertainty derive primarily from the country's eastern and western borders with India and Afghanistan. The withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan in December 2014 created a leadership vacuum and political instability, potentially worsening regional security, particularly in Pakistan. Pakistan also does not want Afghanistan to fall prey to foreign intervention, especially from India, as this would exacerbate Pakistan's sub-nationalism issue. Kashmir's strategic position has been a point of contention between the two countries. Kashmir is vital to both countries because it is the source of water for most of the major rivers that flow into Pakistan. In terms of security issues with India, they are critical because the two countries have fought three wars, resulting in massive human and financial losses as well as destruction of the countries' infrastructure.

Critical Entitlement Theory on post-missionary paternalism in the Church of Christ in Zimbabwe

The dynamic of power troubles are the doing and thinking and that knowledge is always contingent, standing above the abyss, as stated by Prof. J. Jansen in 2009. The issue of entitlement affected the Church of Christ in Zimbabwe (COCZ) at the onset of the third millennium. Leadership vacuum at the departure of missionaries led individuals to assume identities and hierarchies believed to have been interwoven into the polity and governing ideology of the COCZ. This connoted towards power, privilege and position for someone to benefit on church investments. The article suggests use of the critical Entitlement Theory (CET) to assess how contemporary situations at mission stations affect local churches and communities. Black elites who took over have created tensions and contradictions in churches by hiring persons who do not question their actions and words and persons who do not have an appreciation of the production and implementation of the church’s governing laws. Critical Entitlement Theory assumes that ‘the privileged ownership and administration theses’ that date back to white privilege in the colonial church created this problem. This ethnographic study discloses how a new interdisciplinary thinking on equity and justice to local Christians can rise to own and manage mission stations in their local congregations.

Brexit as ‘politics of division’: social media campaigning after the referendum

ABSTRACT The UK’s referendum on EU membership that resulted in a narrow minority in favour of leave was followed by a leadership vacuum and intense debate about the implementation of the result. The politicization over Brexit resulted in the development of ‘Brexit identities’ of Remainers and Leavers that superseded party identities. We argue that in order to understand how this politicization took place despite a leadership vacuum we firstly need to look beyond the arena of formal party politics to more informal arenas of political contestation on social media, especially Facebook, and secondly understand the linkages between EU and national level politicization that polarised the country around new British-specific identities. Through this, we analyse the ‘politics of division’ not simply as a form of contentious politics driven by political parties, but as a social conflict driven by non-institutionalised groups, grassroots campaigns and ordinary citizens. We find evidence of significant mobilisation that extends beyond the realm of party politics but argue that this mobilisation cannot necessarily be considered entirely ‘grassroots’. Rather, it is driven not just by citizens but also shaped by mainstream and alternative media platforms. The debates cannot, however, be considered purely a form of EU politicization, rather, analysis of Facebook comments shows that politicization over Brexit through these campaigns is primarily contestation over the nature and legitimacy of British democracy. Because of this, we argue that social media is an essential site for the study of EU politicization and political campaigns in general.

CEO turnover, leadership vacuum, and stock market reactions

ABSTRACT CEO departures with a delay in successor appointment create a leadership vacuum inducing operational disruption and strategic uncertainty. Such departures also produce turnaround benefits from cutting ties with a poorly performing CEO and by allowing additional time to search for a qualified successor. Prior studies fail to disentangle these perceived costs and benefits associated with CEO dismissal. After filtering out the turnaround benefits, we find that the market reacts incrementally negatively to CEO departure announcements with a delay in successor appointment than those without such delay, capturing incremental switching costs caused by a leadership vacuum. We also find that the leadership vacuum cost is larger in a more volatile environment or with abandonment of a relay succession plan. Our findings contribute to CEO turnover literature by suggesting that a temporary leadership vacuum is an indicator of abandonment of a succession plan that has been influenced by a poorly performing CEO and that such abandonment creates an opportunity to achieve performance turnaround through a better successor.

Religious identity and politics: Exploring the causes of the political persecution of religious minorities in Kohat District, Pakistan

Religious minorities are victims of political isolation and persecution in societies, where they are subject to violence and discrimination. This study was undertaken in a terrorism-affected area to explore those elements that subjugate and suppress religious minorities’ political participation and representation. To conduct an in-depth analysis, a qualitative inquiry was used for data collection and analysis. The researcher interviewed 13 Christians, seven Hindus, and six Sikhs, using a purposive sampling technique and a semi-structured interview guide. The primary data were analyzed using the thematic analysis technique. The researcher found that some of the underlying factors behind the political persecution are leadership vacuum, political neglect, post-election negligence, vote dislocation, political ignorance, and political subordination. This study presented a framework for policymakers to solve minorities’ political problems, and for researchers to better understand the minorities’ political oppression on local and international levels.

China and Climate Change Governance: A Golden Opportunity

Climate change is a threat to all of humankind, yet there is still a leadership vacuum on climate governance. At the same time, the deepening climate crisis also presents a golden opportunity for Beijing to assume the role of a global leader. China has the capacity to do it in a way that the United States, Russia, India, and the European Union do not. Taking swift climate action is in Beijing’s interest. Greater contributions to climate governance will certainly help advance China’s long-term political interest in both raising its political status and demonstrating the claimed superiority of its system of government. Positive rhetoric and robust action by China are likely to have a disproportionate effect on the rest of the world. Policy adjustment and implementation by Beijing will bring benefits to the rest of the world. Climate policy options that Beijing may take in the future are not mutually exclusive. The policy shift on climate change could also be attached more firmly to the idea of sustainable development as a defining factor of China’s approach to tackling the climate change threat.

Authority Delegation and Leadership Succession in Nigeria Electricity Distribution Company

The paper conducted investigation on authority delegation and leadership succession in Nigerian Electricity Distribution Company. Delegation is the process of assigning to the subordinate responsibility for decisions which were formally made by the manager. Delegating authority provides a means for evaluation of employee skills and major attributes, such as leadership qualities, reliability and creativity. Authority delegation aids implementation and succession plan of an organization management. Delegation provides opportunity for training and development, and of testing the subordinate’s suitability for leadership and promotion. The study examined the relationship between authority delegation and employee understudy, assessed the extent of the relationship between authority delegation and management succession and determined the effect of authority delegation on leadership accountability. The target population included managers, supervisors and senior staff of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company headquarters, and eighteen district offices in SouthEast, Nigeria. Findings revealed that a positive relationship exists between authority delegation and employee understudy; A Positive relationship also exists between authority delegation and management succession; and authority delegation positively affected leadership accountability. The study concluded that authority delegation is crucial for management and leadership succession. The study deliberately proposed that leadership succession programmes should be fused into the training plan of companies to prevent leadership vacuum. Managers need to acquire delegation skills to enable the leader manage time effectively.

We need to fill leadership vacuum in Medicine.

We need to fill leadership vacuum in Medicine.

Covid 19: NEJM and former CDC director launch stinging attacks on US response.

The US is “dying in a leadership vacuum,” in responding to the covid-19 pandemic, the New England Journal of Medicine has said in an editorial. “Our leaders have failed. They have taken a crisis and turned it into a tragedy,” the NEJM editors said. US leaders are “dangerously incompetent,” have undercut trust in science and in government,” and should be voted out,1 the journal said. The intervention came as a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggested the current CDC director should update staff in writing about the agency’s failings, apologise, and resign.23 The US leads the world in the death rate from covid-19, which is far higher than larger countries and those with less sophisticated technology and health services, …

Pros and Cons of Deputy Regional Head Role Position in Indonesia

The position of deputy regional head in Indonesia has reaped many pros and cons. The deputy region head ease the regional head’s duties and anticipate a leadership vacuum if the regional head is serving detention period or being temporarily unavailable. On the other hand, deputy regional head has many conflicts with the regional head. This conflict can disrupt the operation of the regional government, so that the existence of the deputy regional head has more harm than benefits. The necessity of deputy regional head in Indonesia needs to take into consideration by the area, population, complexity of regional government affairs, and the effectiveness of regional government operations. However, these considerations are often defeated by the political interests of political parties by placing their cadres as deputy regional heads.

Diagnosis of some genital-tract infections: part 2. Molecular tests and the new challenges.

Promptly and accurately diagnosing genital-tract infections is key to instituting appropriate treatment and control of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Ano-genital tract testing for STIs in the last two decades has not entirely moved away from insensitive methods but it is now at least dominated by highly sensitive molecular methods. These tests can be ordered through the internet for use at home, with self-taken specimens then returned, usually by post, to a clinic or laboratory for testing. The increasing ease of access of the public to this situation, together with increasing on-line health-seeking behaviour, has resulted in a gap between commercial and NHS management pathways for STIs. Crucially, patients who order multiplex test kits on-line for use at home, and other non-specialists, may not realize that it is worthwhile testing only for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and possibly Trichomonas vaginalis, and Mycoplasma genitalium if the person is symptomatic or their current partner is infected. The detection and recommended treatment of micro-organisms which to some extent are part of the genital-tract microbiome, such as Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma spp. or Gardnerella vaginalis, which do not cause symptoms in the majority of those infected, cannot be recommended. We argue that a shift from specialist-led to patient- and non-specialist-led STI management, in the presence of a clinical leadership vacuum, has increased the risk of inappropriate and unnecessary treatment which will drive macrolide, tetracycline and metronidazole antimicrobial resistance. However, in the past 5–6 years several groups have been able to show the value of on-line testing as a consequence of targeting the most important micro-organisms and using molecular tests to allow rapid and appropriately informed treatment. This should herald a brighter future, although there is still a need for leadership to expertly guide commercial and NHS sectors alike. In turn, this requires dedicated genito-urinary medicine commissioning to be maintained at a time when it appears to be most under threat.

Beware the Kindleberger Trap in Global Health Governance

The Covid-19 pandemic is both a public health crisis and a stress test for global health governance. Effective health governance hinges on the provision of global public goods for health. Generally, the hegemon underwrites the operation and stability of the global public health architecture by ensuring the sustained supply of global public goods for health. But when the hegemon is unable or unwilling to shoulder this responsibility, global health governance may run the risk of falling into a Kindleberger Trap. The leadership vacuum that is opening up amid the coronavirus pandemic is accelerating the process. At present, China should adopt a three-pronged approach to promote bilateral health cooperation with leading countries like the United States, strengthen regional institution-building with ASEAN, South Korea, Japan, and Belt and Road countries, and improve the performance, credibility, and integrity of global organizations like the WHO and G-20. The Kindleberger Trap in global health governance can be overcome by adapting regional health coordination to make it more agile and effective.

Response to the COVID-19 pandemic in India: Case studies on leadership in crisis situations

On January 30, 2020, India reported its first case of (COVID-19). In this article, we explore insights into leadership in crisis situations as the country combats the pandemic. We examine dimensions of leadership from two perspectives – positional, and systemic, and the success and challenges that lie therein. We consider the leadership-in-crisis vignettes using the address by the Prime Minister wherein the declaration of nation-wide lockdown was made (positional), and that of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, which suffered from a leadership vacuum as it combated the pandemic (systemic). We report that strategic communication could help bring stakeholders on-board with ease and enthusiasm, complementing a preemptive and graded national response, while systemic failures or stand-stills could compromise the pandemic response despite wide societal engagement and broad political will. Crises situations increase the demand on leaders exceptionally and make their role much more complex, expansive, and time-sensitive. However, at the same time, the system must build the inherent resilience to absorb and overcome shocks, and circumvent dependencies. In summary, leadership-in-crisis requires self-adequacy.