RIASSUNTO
Abstract
Crises are situations that disrupt systems, processes, and lifestyles. They adversely impact individuals, assets, prospects, operations, and reputations of organizations and societies on short and long-terms with significant environmental, social, economic, political, and legal consequences hence the need for priority attention to crises management. This study focused on crises in the oil and gas industry with special emphasis on the lingering situation in the Nigerian-Niger Delta between the communities, the oil and gas companies, and the Government. They became international concerns due to kidnappings, fatalities, assets destruction, environmental degradation, and poverty in the oil-rich region. Despite the industry's substantial expenditure on security, kidnapping and vandalism persist as restive youths who feel marginalized, seek to hurt systems they believe, denied them quality life.
Despite general knowledge and blames traded by parties involved, the study used qualitative-historical-narrative-approach to interview representatives of communities, oil and gas companies, and Government to discover root causes of the crises. Coping theory by Lazarus and Folkman and crisis decision theory by Sweeny were utilized to understand the reasoning and responses of the people to the decisions and management strategies of the Government and oil and gas companies.