The Role of Collaborative Leadership in Crisis Management in Qatar

Abstract

ABSTRACT Effective crisis management is paramount in mitigating socio-political and economic disruptions, especially in developing countries with rapid growth, such as Qatar. Given the rise in complexity of contemporary crises, collaborative leadership is a necessary model for improving coordination, decision-making, and resilience in a crisis response. Despite its recognized importance, the application of collaborative leadership within Qatar’s crisis management approach remains underexplored. This study seeks to address this gap by examining how collaborative leadership enhances crisis management in Qatar, focusing on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Labor. A qualitative research design was used for the study and semi-structured interviews with key government officials were conducted to analyse leadership strategies, interagency collaboration, and crisis response mechanisms. The results show that although there has been considerable progress in creating collaboration between public sector institutions in Qatar, specific challenges remain: hierarchical decision-making structures, limited cross-sector communication, and cultural barriers to collaboration. The findings emphasize that collaborative leadership accentuate efficient multi-stakeholder coordination during crisis management, improve resource-sharing, and enable adaptive decision-making. However, it also revealsstructural barriers to integrating collaborative leadership practices. Based on these findings, the study recommends strengthening inter-ministerial coordination through formal collaborative approaches, investing in programs to build leadership capacity, and leveraging digital platforms for enhanced real-time communication and resource mobilization. Also, nurturing a culture of trust and collaboration across all governmental organizations would allow for the best utilization of response to any crisis. The adoption of these strategies can significantly contribute to Qatar's crisis resilience and promote a more integrated crisis management approach that can serve as a reference model for other highly centralized governments Keywords: Collaborative Leadership, Crisis Management, Qatar Public Sector, Multi-Stakeholder Coordination.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Public Policy