Paper short abstract:

The majority of those working in business continuity and contingency planning have little intellectual or philosophical foundation to their work. This paper demonstrates the unique value that anthropology can offer in a specific, proprietary and applied form that raises the bar for our competitors.

Paper long abstract:

Anthropologically-grounded approaches have much to offer decision-makers in preparing them for their role in managing crises and disasters that directly or indirectly threaten their organisations.

This paper will argue that 'cultural consulting' can add significant value to preparations for business continuity, crisis management and emergency planning. Anthropology can unite insight into (i) the context of the organisation; (ii) the culture of those with the role and responsibility for taking the best quality decisions in difficult circumstances and (iii) the nature of crises in our complex, networked world.

Frankly put, the majority of those working in or for organisations in the fields of business continuity and contingency planning have little intellectual or philosophical foundation to their activities. And yet individuals and consultancies offer services and develop plans which by their very subject matter demand that deep thought has been undertaken.

However, internal customers and external clients are unlikely to be satisfied by deep thought alone. Anthropologists must develop the ability to deliver products and services which draw on intellectual and philosophical foundations but which are distinguished by delivering to the customer's need to a quality that raises the bar for competitors.

By drawing on case studies from the author's public and private practice in consulting, training and exercising, this paper will demonstrate the arguably unique value that anthropology can offer in a specific, proprietary and applied form. With anthropologists frequently invoking the aspiration to improve the lot of their fellow human beings, supporting those whose decisions affect employees, citizens and consumers is clearly an important potential market for our skills.