Abstract:
When Jacinda Ardern became prime minister of New Zealand in October 2017, she immediately faced a major crisis: an outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis), a serious cattle disease threatening the country's dairy industry. With the dairy sector making up a large part of New Zealand’s economy and rural communities traditionally skeptical of Ardern's Labour Party, the stakes were high. Ardern had to decide whether to attempt an aggressive, world-first eradication of the disease—which would require mass culling and high upfront costs—or manage it through ongoing containment, accepting permanent productivity losses. She convened scientific experts, government officials, and industry leaders to gather data and build trust, emphasizing transparency and collaboration in a politically delicate environment.
As the outbreak worsened, expert opinions became divided and mounting public pressure called for a clear decision. Despite significant risks and costs, Ardern personally favored eradication, viewing it as the “path of least regret” to preserve New Zealand’s agricultural future. The case ends in mid-2018, with the disease continuing to circulate and a deadline to issue a decision looming.
This case includes five short video supplements, totaling approximately 13:00 minutes, featuring interviews with Jacinda Ardern. In them she discusses her rapid rise to prime minister, the challenges of responding to the M. bovis crisis, her decision-making philosophy, efforts to engage directly with farmers, and her eventual decision to step down in 2023.
A companion (B) case is also available, which outlines how Ardern secured cabinet and industry support for her preferred course of action. It walks through the short- and long-term outcomes of the government's efforts on M. bovis, and describes how lessons learned during this crisis influenced Ardern's future leadership approach to COVID-19 response and climate policy.
Instructors may opt to teach this as a decision-forcing case, or as a retrospective case. The teaching plan includes instructions and discussion roadmaps to support both options.
Learning Objective:
After reading the case and participating in a class discussion, students will be able to:
• Analyze Ardern’s leadership tactics for negotiating across stakeholder groups, bridging partisan divides, and managing political perceptions.
• Evaluate strategies for using evidence and soft skills to build consensus and manage complex, emotionally charged negotiations.
• Apply techniques for navigating deep disagreement, heightened emotions, and interpersonal dynamics to achieve positive negotiation outcomes.
