The “Rhino War”: A Complex Crisis 

For over a decade, in the heart of South Africa’s wilderness, a battle rages on. This is the “rhino war,” a cautionary tale that reveals how even the noblest of intentions can lead to unexpected consequences. By studying how wildlife rangers adopted a warrior identity against poachers, and why they held firm to their military approach despite its shortcomings, our study, published in the Journal of Management Studies, explains how organisational responses to crises may create rigidity traps. 

First responders and brave individuals are often portrayed as battling seemingly insurmountable challenges, whether it’s a medical team fighting a pandemic, or a community uniting against injustice. But what happens when that struggle, despite all good intentions, becomes a self-defeating trap? When the very zeal that spurs employees into action becomes an obstacle to long-term solutions? These are the questions we address in our recent study about South Africa’s “rhino war,” showing how organizations can become trapped in immutable approaches to complex problems, even when alternatives exist. The study outlines how an initially heroic mission can morph into a cycle of disillusionment and cynicism, highlighting the importance of adapting strategies when circumstances demand it. Rhino poaching is a complex crisis with multiple, interrelated causal elements interacting at diverse levels, which preclude straightforward solutions. 

From Custodians to Combatants: The Ranger Identity Shift 

Historically, wildlife rangers in South Africa saw themselves as custodians of nature, guardians of a pristine wilderness. Their identity was rooted in a love of the land and a desire to protect it. But as rhino poaching escalated dramatically, these dedicated individuals were thrust into a new role: that of a soldier on the frontline of a protracted, violent conflict with armed and dangerous poachers. In 2012, conservation authorities adopted a military approach, complete with military training, equipment and tactics, to combat poaching. This approach demanded changing roles and much commitment from rangers. This instance of “green militarization” saw rangers transformed into “warriors,” tasked with confronting armed and dangerous poachers. Initially, this shift was accompanied by a sense of purpose and heroic agency, with the organization fostering a “hope culture” to boost morale and commitment. Rangers embraced their new roles, and the military logic was seen as a necessary, even inevitable, response to an existential threat. Rangers’ superiors, the media and politicians placed immense pressure on them to decisively “win” the war on poaching.  

The Identity Trap: When Heroism Becomes a Hindrance 

However, by 2020, it was clear that the rangers were not achieving their mission, that the militarized strategy was not sufficient to stop poaching and was financially unsustainable. Rangers faced escalating dangers, trauma, exhaustion and psychological strain. Yet conservationists remained locked into the existing strategy. A “war,” after all, is to be fought, unwaveringly, until the bitter end. Time passed. Rangers became increasingly cynical and disillusioned, and their collective “cynical martyr” identity emerged. This transformation from “hopeful hero” to “cynical martyr” wasn’t a sudden change, but rather a path-dependent process, driven by three forms of “identity work”, as follows: 

Polarizing: Rangers started to define themselves in opposition to critics both inside and outside the organization, creating an “us versus them” mentality. This polarization dissuaded them from engaging with criticism and considering alternative approaches. 

Normalizing: The extreme hardships and sacrifices that the rangers were forced to endure became normalized and glorified as part of their identity. Injuries, trauma, and even death became a part of their lived reality. The rangers felt that giving up or admitting defeat would invalidate all the sacrifices that they had made, signaling a war that was “lost.” 

Cynical coping: This involved the emergence of a cynical attitude, dark humor, and sarcasm as ways to cope with the constant strain of the “rhino war”. Rather than leading to change, this cynicism fostered a sense of resignation and powerlessness. The rangers became stuck in a “survival mode,” depleted of energy or motivation to explore or implement alternative solutions 

Stuck in a rut: Disillusionment and the Limits of Militarization 

Think of path dependence like a deep rut in a road. Once your wheels are in the rut, it’s easier to keep going straight ahead, even if that’s not the best direction. Path-dependence starts with a critical decision – in this case, adopting a militarized approach to fight poaching. It sets in motion a series of self-reinforcing dynamics, events and behaviors, that make it increasingly difficult to change course. To implement the newly prioritized logic, a focal group of organizational members need to amend not only their practices and routines but also their professional self-conceptions and engage in identity work to this effect. Rangers as “warrior-heroes” became deeply ingrained. Over time, the organization becomes “locked-in” to this logic-identity constellation, even if its flaws and negative consequences become apparent. It becomes harder and costlier to switch to a different strategy, even if alternatives exist.  

The tragedy is that rangers’ initial heroic identity, which was crucial in mobilizing them to action, became a barrier to adaptation and change. Instead of being able to adjust their tactics in response to a fluid reality, rangers became entrenched in a single, narrowly defined strategy, and the organization suffered as a result. This was not a conscious choice but a gradual, unintended process that highlights the complex interplay between identity, institutional logics, and organizational responses to a crisis. This is a story of how identities can become a trap, inadvertently damaging individuals who hold them and, ultimately, organizations that cultivate them.  

Implications for Complex Challenges: The Courage to Adapt 

It is a story with implications for organizations facing complex problems, especially “grand challenges,” such as environmental degradation and social inequality. Such challenges require flexibility, open and persistent dialogue, and a willingness to experiment with new approaches, not an unconditional commitment to a one-dimensional strategy. Leaders must be aware of how organizational narratives and identity work can create rigidity and ossification. For example, while the rangers’ transformation into “warrior-heroes” initially boosted morale and focus, it eventually led to polarization, burnout, and cynicism that made it harder to make sense of and respond to a changing environment. Our study is a reminder that true courage lies not just in fighting for what is right, but also in being willing to adapt and change, even when it challenges our own sense of self. This requires learning from our mistakes and the flexibility to shift between multiple possible responses to complex crises.