DOES THEORY MATTER? APPLYING ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS
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Authors
Sirney, Jason M.
Subjects
bureaucracy
collaboration
communication
complexity theory
crisis management
effectiveness
emergency management
hierarchy
local government
organization
organizational theory
power and politics theory
public administration
structure
systems theory
collaboration
communication
complexity theory
crisis management
effectiveness
emergency management
hierarchy
local government
organization
organizational theory
power and politics theory
public administration
structure
systems theory
Advisors
Woodbury, Glen L.
Friedman, Mitchell S.
Date of Issue
2019-03
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
Emergency management has developed into a profession with demands and expertise separate from other professional disciplines in government service. Coordination issues before, during, and after a disaster have continually been a challenge for emergency management. Although the organizational placement of local government emergency management agencies varies extensively across the United States, public administration organizational theory provides a foundation for considerations that inform the design of these bureaucratic structures. Structure influences essential emergency management functions such as interagency coordination, resource allocation, program prioritization, decision making, information flow, and collaboration. Organizational design also significantly affects program characteristics, including culture development, professional identity, and employee engagement—all of which have direct relationships with program effectiveness. This thesis supports the notion that jurisdictions need to carefully consider the organizational placement of their emergency management programs to support effective service delivery. Jurisdictions should ensure that programs are structured in a way that promotes program empowerment, limits hierarchical layers, promotes executive sponsorship, enhances collaboration, and develops an emergency management culture.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
National Security Affairs (NSA)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
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Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
Copyright is reserved by the copyright owner.