Myopia during emergency improvisation: lessons from a catastrophic wildfire

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how a number of processes joined to create the microlevel strategies and procedures that resulted in the most lethal and tragic forest fire in Portugal's history, recalled as the EN236-1 road tragedy in the fire of Pedrogao Grande. Design/methodology/approach Using an inductive theory development approach, the authors consider how the urgency and scale of perceived danger coupled with failures of system-wide communication led fire teams to improvise repeatedly. Findings The paper shows how structure collapse led teams to use only local information prompting acts of improvisational myopia, in the particular shape of corrosive myopia, and how a form of incidental improvisation led to catastrophic results. Practical implications The research offers insights into the dangers of improvisation arising from corrosive myopia, identifying ways to minimize them with the development of improvisation practices that allow for the creation of new patterns of action. The implications for managing surprise through improvisation extend to risk contexts beyond wildfires. Originality/value The paper stands out for showing the impact of improvisational myopia, especially in its corrosive form, which stands in stark contrast to the central role of attention to the local context highlighted in previous research on improvisation. At the same time, by exploring the effects of incidental improvisation, it also departs from the agentic conception of improvisation widely discussed in the improvisation literature.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

A Multiple Case Study of the Interagency Relationship between School Administrators and Law Enforcement Personnel in the Creation, Implementation, and Sustaining of School Emergency Management Plans

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to examine how the interorganizational relationship between school administrators and law enforcement personnel in the Midwest, South, and Southwest regions of the United States with diverse cultures, missions, and objectives to collaborate to create, implement, and sustain emergency management readiness. The theoretical concept that guided this study involved interorganizational theories as they relate to two or more organizations working together toward a common goal. This study used purposeful sampling of 12 participants from three school districts from the states of Alabama, New Mexico, and Illinois. A within-case and cross-case analysis along with interviews, documents, and artifacts, such as school safety plans, school safety drills, safety audits, and Safe School rubrics were analyzed as part of the data collection process and were used to investigate interorganizational relationships between schools and law enforcement in relation to school emergency management readiness. Results indicated that the creation of emergency management plans is primarily the work of district administrators. The implementation process included district administrators and building principals with minimal input of law enforcement personnel. However, the process of sustaining school emergency plans is a joint effort between school and law enforcement personnel. Analysis of data affirmed the importance of having an effective interorganizational relationship between school and law enforcement personnel in the context of school safety to create an effective emergency management plan in the school

Interoperability Performance Among Campus Law Enforcement Agencies

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks exposed considerable breakdowns in communications interoperability and information sharing among first responders. Multijurisdictional responses to the active-shooter incidents at the University of Texas in 2010; Sandy Hook Elementary of Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, and the Reynolds High School shooting of Multnomah County, Oregon in 2014 were replete with interoperability failures as well. Recent multijurisdictional response events continue to illuminate difficulties with first-responder interoperability and minimal research exists to promote understanding of the interoperability challenges of university police departments. The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers that impede communications of campus based law enforcement agencies during multiagency or multijurisdictional response. General systems theory and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model provided the conceptual framework for this qualitative case study. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 10 leaders of university public safety agencies in California. Data were collected, inductively coded, and thematically analyzed. Key findings indicate that participants perceived barriers of funding, policy, inclusiveness, and training that affect communications interoperability performance. The positive social change implications from this study include recommendations of policy change for improved interoperability during multiagency or multijurisdictional response which can contribute to increased first-responder safety, more efficient multijurisdictional response, and improved safety of students and society at large

The role of the board of directors in crisis

This study analyses the role of the board in crisis. This topic is relevant as today’s organizations are operating in a risky, uncertain and turbulent environment exposing companies more and more to crises. Based on literature reviews and semi-directive interviews (10), three main roles of the board in crisis could be identified. First, the board has a role in preventing and anticipating crises. To do so, it has to foster a “culture of risk management”, bring a flexible and efficient structure, and ensure a high level of transparency. Subsequently, once the crisis hits the company, the board has an important role managing it by taking more responsibilities, putting in place the adequate management, reshaping the company, and many other interventions linked to damage control. Finally, the board has to put in place post-mortem mechanisms in order to be able to learn lessons from various crises

Configuración de rutinas de capacidad de absorción

Esta disertación doctoral presenta el diseño e implementación de un producto de software (simulador por computador) de una propuesta modelo del constructo ?capacidad de absorción? (ACAP) para organizaciones. La ACAP es un constructo que describe la capacidad dinámica de las organizaciones para detectar en su entorno el conocimiento que puede serle útil, incorporarlo en sus procesos y aplicarlo para sacarle provecho. Esta investigación propone un modelo implementable en computador de ACAP que asiste a los tomadores de decisión de la organización en la configuración de esta capacidad dinámica. La propuesta del modelo se fundamenta en la consolidación conceptual de las interrelaciones de las nociones de adquisición de tecnología, difusión, adopción, adaptación, apropiación, aceptación, asimilación y compatibilidad tecnológica para derivar en innovación tecnológica que impacta interna y externamente a la organización, con la generación de ventajas competitivas, incremento en la productividad y, como novedad, impactos positivos en el desarrollo económico en donde se inscribe la organización. Las ideas básicas que conforman la implementación del modelo son: (i) la dinámica evolutiva del conocimiento organizacional y (ii) la estructura del conocimiento organizacional implementada por medio de rutinas organizacionales. A partir de la implementación de un simulador basado en agentes, la validación con usuarios expertos permite concluir que el conocimiento organizacional es esencialmente un saber-hacer que evoluciona en el tiempo y que permite la adaptación de la organización a su entorno cambiante.This doctoral dissertation introduces the design and implementation of a software product (computer simulator) implementing a proposal for a model of the ‘absorptive capacity’ (ACAP) construct for organizations. ACAP is a construct describing the dynamic capacity of organizations to identify knowledge in its environment potentially useful, assimilate it and exploit it. This research proposes a computer implementable model of ACAP to assist decision makers when configuring this dynamic capacity. The model proposed is founded in the conceptual consolidation of the interactions of the notions of technology acquisition, diffusion, adoption, adaptation, appropriation, acceptance, assimilation an compatibility to derive in technological innovation that impacts internally and externally an organization, generating competitive advantages, productivity increases and, considered as completely new, positive impacts in economic development in the context were the organization resides. Basic ideas underlying the model implementation are: (i) evolutionary dynamics of organizational knowledge and (ii) organizational knowledge implemented by means of organizational routines. Since the implementation of an agent-based simulator, expert user validation leads to infer that organizational knowledge is essentially a know-how evolving in time in order to allow adaptation of the organization to its changing environment.Doctor en IngenieríaDoctorad