Case study

LiPS Case study in-development example

The case study I am developing focuses on the handling of the coronavirus pandemic by New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinta Ardern. Ardern is one of a number of female leaders who have been widely-praised internationally for their quick and decisive handling of the crisis (Henley, 2020). A recent academic study highlighted the particular attitude to risk by female leaders who were perceived to be risk averse in the context of coronavirus, with regard to lives, yet more willing to take risks with regard to the economy (Garikipati and Kambhampati, 2020). Ardern’s distinctive path with regard to her handling of the pandemic is reflective of her approach to public leadership, where she has deliberately positioned herself as challenging the norms of adversarial political leadership, and instead centring empathy and compassion (BBC, 2018).

Sources:

1. BBC (2018) Jacinta Adern interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruDJp64prhc, 16 November 2018. (Accessed: 18 August 2020).

2. Garikipati, S. and Kambhampati, U. (2020) ‘Leading the fight against the pandemic: does gender “really” matter?’ (June 3, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3617953 (Accessed: 18 August 2020).

3. Henley, J. 2020. Female led countries handled coronavirus better, study suggested. Guardian, 18 August 2020, Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/18/female-led-countries-handled-coronavirus-better-study-jacinda-ardern-angela-merkel (Accessed: 18 August 2020).

4. Spencer, E. (2020) ‘New Zealand's PM is leading a masterclass on coronavirus response’, Forbes, 10 April 2020 (Accessed: 18 August 2020).

5. Wilson, S. (2020) ‘Three reasons why Jacinda Ardern’s coronavirus response has been a masterclass in crisis leadership’, The Conversation, 5 August 2020 (Accessed: 18 August 2020).