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1 – 10 of over 4000Investigates what people are prepared to do in the way of disaster preparation, and examines how these assessments may be related to personal factors and attitudes. Draws…
Abstract
Investigates what people are prepared to do in the way of disaster preparation, and examines how these assessments may be related to personal factors and attitudes. Draws on a theoretical model of the area, developed in a previous study using a qualitative grounded theory approach. Surveys 925 persons representative of the Swedish population between the ages of 16 and 74. Data were collected in a postal questionnaire. Shows that the preparations for disasters which had been carried out by the greatest number were installation of smoke detectors, participating in practice at school or work, and learning first aid. The least performed preparations included joining a voluntary organization or training programme, stocking up with tinned food at home, taking extra insurance, and learning how to deal with psychological crisis reactions. Finds considerable subgroup differences; and that the two key dimensions of the model ‐ sense of personal meaningfulness and societal commitment ‐ account for the differences. Suggests actions to be taken by the Swedish authorities.
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Shuo‐Yan Chou and Dayjian Chen
This study is an inquiry into practical solutions in the field of emergent disaster rescue methods and prevention management, and it focuses on planning, real‐time rescue…
Abstract
Purpose
This study is an inquiry into practical solutions in the field of emergent disaster rescue methods and prevention management, and it focuses on planning, real‐time rescue, and emergency management. This study is a conventional writing style. Thus, the purpose of this study is to offer methods for governor reducing disaster losses in terms of human life and livelihoods.
Design/methodology/approach
The government should establish permanent disaster recovery institutions, such as disaster recovery coordinators, resource distributors at the provincial or state level, and nodes in districts to manage supplies, rescue activities. During the preparation stage of disaster responses, government offices must prepare the rescue plans and policies for future disasters, as well as create the documents for establishing part‐time civilian and volunteer agreements.
Findings
Even though residents suffer tremendous losses in terms of human life, regional administrators are usually and poorly organized at the preparation stage.
Practical implications
Disaster rescue activities depend heavily on civilians and organizations. A disaster rescue manager plays a key role, because he or she has received training in and has become familiar with emergent rescue operations.
Originality/value
Disaster rescue management is a valuable topic because it is a globally significant challenge to safeguard people's lives. A complex disaster of earthquakes and tsunamis occurring can give rise to nuclear radiation damage, for example, that occurred in Japan on March 11, 2011, is an illustrative case.
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Zahed Ghaderi, Brian King and C. Michael Hall
Crisis planning and improvements to business resilience are increasingly significant aspects of hotel management. This study investigates the crisis preparation of hotel…
Abstract
Purpose
Crisis planning and improvements to business resilience are increasingly significant aspects of hotel management. This study investigates the crisis preparation of hotel managers in Malaysia and how their perceptions affect crisis planning and preparation.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research method of semi-structured interviews with 24 hospitality managers in Malaysia was conducted. Data were analysed thematically using ATLAS.ti software, version 8.
Findings
The findings showed that crisis preparation among Malaysian hospitality firms is relatively neglected. Hotel crisis preparation schemes are greatly influenced by senior managers' intentions and organizational culture. Organizational resilience also has a significant role in hotel crisis planning and preparedness. Interestingly, in terms of long-term adaptation, hotels were less inclined to be “learning organizations” and managers were reluctant to change their organizational established structures, core beliefs and practice sustained resiliency in crisis preparation.
Practical implications
Understanding the crisis preparation of hospitality managers is important to develop effective strategies for different crises considering their severity and urgency. This study identified influential organizational and personal factors which affect crisis preparation of hospitality managers in Malaysia. The study further recommends a proactive mindset in crisis preparation of hotels.
Originality/value
Crisis preparation of hospitality managers had received limited attention, and this study highlights how managers consider crisis planning and preparation.
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Krichelle Medel, Rehana Kousar and Tariq Masood
The increasing risk of natural disasters is challenging humanitarian actors to create resilient disaster management systems. However, the role of the private sector in…
Abstract
Purpose
The increasing risk of natural disasters is challenging humanitarian actors to create resilient disaster management systems. However, the role of the private sector in disaster management operations (DMOs) is not as prominent as the role played by (inter)governmental agencies. This article aims to investigate the relationship of collaboration and resilience in disaster management supply networks (DMSNs).
Design/methodology/approach
Supply network resilience criteria were defined as robustness, flexibility, velocity and visibility based on the literature review. DMSN capabilities were identified characterising each resilience criterion through the development of the Collaboration–Resilience (COLRES) Analysis Framework for DMSNs. This theoretical model was then applied to an empirical case study in the Philippines using semi-structured interviews for data gathering.
Findings
A total of 46 cross-sector collaboration activities were identified across four disaster management phases and linked to the resilience criteria. A causal analysis of each collaboration activity and its outcome was conducted to identify relationships between collaboration types and resilience constructs. Based on these results, patterns were identified, and dependencies between collaboration and resilience were defined. Collective DMSN resilience (DMSNRES) enabled by existing cross-sector collaboration activities was evaluated against a future disaster scenario to identify resilience gaps. These gaps were used to recognise new cross-sector collaboration opportunities, thereby illustrating the continuous process of resilience building.
Research limitations/implications
This research provides new insights on how private sector is involved within a DMOs through collaboration with the government and other NGOs. It augments existing literature on private sector involvement in DMOs where common perception is that the sector is only involved in short-term response and recovery activities. This study finds that the private sector can be operationally involved not just in post-disaster activities, but also in mitigation and preparation phases as well. This then sets a new baseline for further research on private sector involvement within DMOs. As this study provided a novel framework to analyse collaboration activities and its impact to DMSN resilience, future work could be done by applying the model to further cases such as other countries'. DMSNs, or to more specific contexts such as inter-organisational collaborations rather than big sectors. A more detailed assessment method against a future disaster will prove relevance for the model in providing practical insights on how resilience can be built in DMSNs.
Practical implications
This research proposed a novel DMSN collaboration-resilience (COLRES) model (Figure 11) to analyse existing processes in preparation for specific disasters. Practitioners may be able to use this model with the goal of identifying resilience gaps to fill and continuously improve their processes. The model also provides practitioners the lens to improve processes with the perspective on collaboration to complement government and NGO efforts and expertise with those of the private sector. For the private sector perspective, this research provides new insights on how they can be more involved with the community to provide more sustainable and long-term contributions to the society.
Social implications
With disasters becoming more complex and frequent by the day and as humanitarian actors focus on improving their expertise, the need for every piece of the society to contribute to disaster risk reduction is continuously intensified. This research shows that each sector of the society can take part in disaster management operations to reduce unpredictability, lives impacted and increase speed of response and recovery. Each sector of the society can be of great contribution not only during post-disaster response and recovery but also during pre-disaster mitigation and preparedness phase. As such, this research echoes the call for everyone to be involved in disaster risk reduction and mitigation as a way of life.
Originality/value
This research ultimately finds that cross-sector collaboration builds resilience in DMSNs through capacity building, redundancy sourcing, information reliability and logistics responsiveness. This study shows that the private sector is able to go beyond existing short-term partnerships by participating in the 46 collaboration activities identified across four disaster management phases in order to build resilience in DMSNs.
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Kahukura Bennett, Andreas Neef and Renata Varea
This chapter explores the local narration of gendered experience of disasters in two iTaukei (Indigenous Fijian) communities, Votua and Navala, both located in the Ba…
Abstract
This chapter explores the local narration of gendered experience of disasters in two iTaukei (Indigenous Fijian) communities, Votua and Navala, both located in the Ba River catchment, Fiji. The methodology consisted of semi-formal interviews, talanoa, mapping sessions and journal entries from community members in Votua and Navala. Local narratives of post-disaster response and recovery in the aftermath of 2016 Tropical Cyclone Winston showed that women were not perceived as embodying a heightened vulnerability to disasters in comparison to men in either Votua or Navala. Rather perceptions of vulnerability were based on the experiences of those who physically struggled, such as people with disabilities, the elderly and those who had lost their homes. While gender roles and responsibilities underlay perceptions and gender relations, the roles and responsibilities were predominantly perceived as changing over time, either to a more shared sense of responsibilities or a shift from male responsibilities to female. This shift may lay the foundations for future changes in vulnerability and experiences towards disasters.
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Yannick Hémond and Benoît Robert
The purpose of this paper is to show the evolution of the concept “state of preparedness” into “state of resilience” in the context of emergency management, and the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to show the evolution of the concept “state of preparedness” into “state of resilience” in the context of emergency management, and the implications raised by this new concept.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is a literature review (scientific and governmental) of the most important articles in the field of state of preparedness evaluation.
Findings
This article presents two trends in the state of preparedness evaluation: response capability and preparation management. These two trends contribute to the evolution of the concept “state of preparedness” into “state of resilience”, a state that is defined as the ability of a system to maintain or restore an acceptable level of functioning despite disruptions and failures.
Originality/value
This literature review helps define the concept of “state of preparedness” (in terms of both management and response capability) as the new trend of resilience.
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John McClure, Jo White and Chris G. Sibley
The purpose of this paper is to show whether positive or negative framing of preparation messages leads to higher intentions to prepare for earthquakes, and whether the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to show whether positive or negative framing of preparation messages leads to higher intentions to prepare for earthquakes, and whether the more important component of the message is the framing of the preparation action or the framing of the outcome of not preparing.
Design/methodology/approach
Four message conditions were created by crossing the framing of preparation actions (taking or not taking action) and the framing of outcomes (experiencing harm and avoiding harm in an earthquake). They were presented to citizens (n=240) in Wellington, New Zealand, who judged the general importance of preparation and specific preparation steps.
Findings
The study finds that intentions to undertake both general and specific preparation were higher with negatively framed outcomes than positive outcomes. With specific actions, negative outcomes led to higher intentions to prepare when the action frame was positive (i.e. being well prepared).
Research limitations/implications
This research shows that negative framing should apply to outcome preparation and not to the action of preparing
Practical implications
These findings clarify that negative framing of outcomes is likely to increase preventive actions in relation to natural hazards.
Originality/value
This is the first study to show the affects of message framing on preparing for disasters.
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This paper addresses how local retailers remain resilient in negotiating the lead up to and immediate aftermath of two major disasters (Typhoons Nesat and Nalgae) within a…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper addresses how local retailers remain resilient in negotiating the lead up to and immediate aftermath of two major disasters (Typhoons Nesat and Nalgae) within a developing urban context (Dagupan City, Pangasinan). It highlights the specific mechanisms by which urban traders engage the Philippines’ more pervasive and highly resilient “culture of disaster” vis-à-vis conditions of chronic natural hazard.
Methodology/approach
This study relies predominately on the traditional anthropological techniques of participant observation and informal/semi-structured interviews to gather relevant project data. Supplementing these two core methods are findings derived from secondary sources like local and provincial newspapers, government records, public and university libraries, and census findings.
Findings
Findings suggest that a continual cycle of disaster impact and response does not overtly affect small retailers’ entrepreneurial initiative. It becomes clear that a persistent threat of natural hazards fosters a rather fatalistic sense of self-reliance.
Research limitations/implications
Study was designed and funded as a quick-response study; therefore, the research timeframe was rather compressed and the informant pool somewhat limited.
Social implications
The Philippines is widely recognized as a “culture of disaster” given its volatile position along the Pacific’s “Ring of Fire” and “Typhoon Alley.” This distinction assumes added dimension as the effects of global climate change become increasingly pervasive at the local level.
Originality/value
This paper adds ethnographic detail to a growing body of data on small business resilience within disaster prone areas of the Global South amid intensifying global climate change.
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Mohammad Asif Salam and Sami A. Khan
The purpose of this study is to draw lessons for logistics management in humanitarian disasters, using the earthquake in Haiti as a case study. In Haiti, there were…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to draw lessons for logistics management in humanitarian disasters, using the earthquake in Haiti as a case study. In Haiti, there were problems with the logistical response. This study investigates the humanitarian logistics challenges faced by various stakeholders in Haiti during the disaster-relief operations.
Design/methodology/approach
In this exploratory case study, the central methodology used was data triangulation. Data triangulation involved interviews with respondents grouped into three categories, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the military establishment and the governmental agencies. Prominence is given to the common themes expressed by each group. These common themes are then compared to the themes of other groups to identify opportunities and problems for future disaster relief operations.
Findings
The study indicates that there is a clear gap in terms of how the humanitarian efforts were coordinated between different actors. Lack of civil–military cooperation and coordination was one of the findings from the interviews, and many of the resources and initiatives were overlapping or redundant. Timeliness and efficiency need to be at the forefront of all planning and would result in more saved lives and reduced human suffering. The key goal of humanitarian logistics stipulates is to form connections and relationships, which was well illustrated through the informants' interviews. It was found that organizing different stakeholders/actors to work together by sharing processes and distribution channels demands a vision that goes beyond logistics management. Government agencies, the military establishment, NGOs, locals and victims need to collaborate to create a synergy in generating solutions that are tailored to the shock of the disaster in the first place.
Research limitations/implications
The current study relies on a single case study approach as disaster scenarios are unique in terms of their impact, magnitude, timing and location. Despite these limitations, this study provides a detailed account of the logistical challenges in dealing with the disaster that took place in Haiti. The logistics-related lessons learned from this case study should be carefully applied in other settings, taken into consideration contextual differences.
Practical implications
One important aspect of measuring efficiency for any commercial logistics system is key performance indicators (KPIs) that indicate how well the firm is doing in managing its inbound and outbound operations. From a practical standpoint, the Haiti case raised a challenging concern with regard to how to measure the performance of humanitarian disaster logistics. This is a starting point to understand the dynamics of disaster system efficiency and logistics interplay and offers a few lessons to improve the resource availability in the case of future emergencies.
Originality/value
This study lays the groundwork for future researchers to explore and debrief on the topic once disaster relief draws to a close and time has allowed logisticians and relief workers to analyze the response mechanisms used in disasters.
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Metro Manila, composed of 13 cities and 4 municipalities, is the home of more than 11 million people, and is vulnerable to different types of hazards, including…
Abstract
Metro Manila, composed of 13 cities and 4 municipalities, is the home of more than 11 million people, and is vulnerable to different types of hazards, including earthquakes and flooding. This chapter focuses on the legal and institutional framework of Metro Manila, and analyzes the effectiveness of local governance in reducing the impacts of earthquake risk in the community level. Although most of the cities are faced with different barriers and challenges with regard to institutional and legal aspects, it is required to mobilize communities and utilize appropriate community leadership to enhance actions at the local level. In case of Manila, barangay or the lowest government body plays a key role in implementing risk reduction measures at community levels, and barangay captain (elected local representative) plays a crucial role in facilitating implementation. A combination of public help, mutual help, and self-help will be able to develop risk reduction strategies at local level.