Assessing roles of people, technology and structure in emergency management systems: a public sector perspective

• Published in: Behaviour & information technology 2012-12, Vol.31 (12), p.1147-1160
• Main Authors: Kim, Minkyun, Sharman, Raj, Cook-Cottone, Catherine P., Rao, H. Raghav, Upadhyaya, Shambhu J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Decision making; Delivery Systems; Emergency management; emergency management systems; Emergency medical care; Emergency procedures; Emergency Programs; Emergency response; Exact sciences and technology; Human factors; Human factors research; Influence of Technology; Information and communication sciences; Information processing and retrieval; Information retrieval. Man machine relationship; Information science. Documentation; Information sharing; Knowledge Management; Labor; labour; Leadership; Leadership Effectiveness; logistics; Management Systems; Performance Factors; Professional Training; Psychological Characteristics; Public Sector; Research process. Evaluation; responders; Role Perception; Sciences and techniques of general use; Self Efficacy; Social Support Groups; socio-technical systems; Structure factor; support; Systems Analysis; Task Analysis; task technology; Tasks; Training
• ISSN: 0144-929X; 1362-3001
• DOI: 10.1080/0144929X.2010.510209

Emergency management systems are a critical factor in successful mitigation of natural and man-made disasters, facilitating responder decision making in complex situations. Based on socio-technical systems, have which four components (people, technology, structure and task), this study develops a research framework of factors affecting effective emergency management. People factors include psychological factors such as responders' self-efficacy, support from family, peers and community, and training. Technology factors are task technology and information sharing. The structure factors are leadership, labour and logistics. Finally, the task factor refers to effective emergency management. This study empirically tests this framework by collecting surveys from emergency responders who participated in the 2006 Buffalo October Storm. The research results demonstrate that training and support positively affect emergency management self-efficacy which, in turn, has a positive significant relationship with effective emergency management. Task technology and information sharing also have a positive impact on effective emergency management. However, findings suggest that the structure factors do not show a significant relationship with effective emergency management. This research presents that human factors in emergency management are essential to conduct effective operations. More importantly, investing in technology to assist responders in performing their jobs during the emergency is crucial during the emergency operations.