Book Launch Announcement | Crisis: A Global Case Primer
We are proud to announce the launch of Crisis: A Global Case Primer (2025, BridgeBuilders Books / Cambridge University Press) by the Business for Peace Research Institute (BPRI) Research Council Members, Jason Miklian, PhD, and John Katsos, PhD. The volume is a timely and essential new resource for understanding how business can engage meaningfully in times of crisis. Drawing from real-world case studies, the book offers practical insights into how business leaders can respond ethically and effectively to complex global challenges.
Aligned with our mission at the Business for Peace Foundation, this work underscores the vital role of “businessworthy” leadership in fostering resilience, peace, and shared prosperity.
We asked authors, Jason Miklian and John Katsos, to share some thoughts with us.
Why this topic, and why now?
Today’s polycrisis world can make doing business ethically feel impossible. We wrote this book to help business leaders see that there is a way to live their values and survive polycrisis. Our research on company leaders dealing with polycrisis from pandemics to political instability and online outrage to offline violence consistently shows that it’s not only possible; it’s a learnable skill. We wrote this book because we think these sorts of crises are multiplying globally, and the crisis models that business leaders are often using right now won’t work.
So, we used gripping, real-world case studies of business leaders who led with principle during polycrisis to show how any executive or manager can succeed through crisis. We aimed to make a guide for any business leader or entrepreneur needing a lodestar to navigate our complex, uncertain world and turn values into strategy. By showcasing tested and proven empirical strategies, we hope that our book can arm ethical leaders with the skills to lead their organisations successfully through the toughest crises, positioning crises as unique opportunities for growth and positive societal impact.
What would you like your readers to take away?
The book outlines quite a few of our biggest lessons from our two decades of research on the topic, but perhaps the most important takeaway might be that business ethics isn’t just for the good times. It’s not a nicety or an add-on, but an essential part of strategic business success during times of polycrisis and ‘normal’ times alike. But how to be ethical in polycrisis is different and leaders usually don’t have the training for it. We want the leaders who read this to walk away with a clear idea and use cases of how to lead ethically and successfully during polycrisis. Working as a socially responsible actor helps businesses anticipate and manage socio-political strife, design business practices to weather any storm, and seize emerging opportunities and expand corporate responsibility to build a better society and a stronger, more resilient business.
Why does this book matter for Business for Peace Foundation readers?
Our big takeaway for Business for Peace Foundation readers is in delivering proof that the business and peace agenda isn’t just about “doing good” or giving back to society, it also gives you a strategic edge! It makes you more resilient, a better employer, more profitable, and better placed than competitors. The cases in our book deliver real-world evidence showing exactly that. From Unilever’s radical pivot during the financial crisis to Chobani’s defiance in the face of political hate, this book explores what it takes to lead ethically, boldly, and profitably in the face of real-world chaos.
Crisis: A Global Case Primer offers a blueprint for navigating modern complexity that doesn’t compromise on principle.
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Crisis: A Global Case Primer is more than a book. It is a call to action for a new kind of leadership. For the Business for Peace Foundation community, it affirms that ethical, “businessworthy” leadership is not just compatible with resilience and profitability – rather, it is essential to achieving them.
In a world increasingly defined by disruption and uncertainty, Miklian and Katsos provide a roadmap for leading with integrity, courage, and clarity. Their work reinforces our shared belief that business can, and must, be a force for peace, purpose, and progress.
Crisis: A Global Case Primer out June 17, 2025.