Crises unbound: Institutions, occupational groups and the construction of omnicrises

Omnicrises are systemic disruptions that transcend organizational boundaries, rapidly escalating across institutional domains and destabilizing the jurisdictional order through which social life is coordinated. Unlike conventional crises that are confined to specific organizations or industries, an omnicrisis triggers a state of jurisdictional fracturing, creating vacuums of authority that undermine communities’ sense of stability and continuity. We argue that omnicrises occur when systemic disruptions misalign established connections between occupational mandates, settled jurisdictions, and recognized expertise, compelling occupational groups to avow, delegate, or realign authority in response to unfolding threats. Resolution emerges through processes of institutional repair that stabilize a coherent jurisdictional settlement and enable the construction of a “new normal.” By incorporating insights from institutional theory and the sociology of occupations, we advance understanding of crisis governance, expertise under systemic threat, and the reconstruction of institutional order in an era of pervasive uncertainty.