How do leaders respond when a crisis suddenly changes what matters most? This paper examines how leaders’ functional specialization shapes their responses to abrupt institutional shifts during crises. Drawing on evidence from the early COVID-19 period, the study shows that more specialized municipal leaders implemented social distancing more rigorously than generalist leaders when dominant pressures shifted from economic development to public health. The paper also shows that this pattern was weaker when leaders had prior crisis management or local community experience, and stronger when they held positions on provincial decision-making committees.
Authors and affiliations:
• Yidi Guo (Tsinghua University)
• Danqing Wang (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)
• Shuo Chen (Fudan University)
