Assessing the benefits of organized voluntary emergency services

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Bachner ◽  
Sebastian Seebauer ◽  
Clemens Pfurtscheller ◽  
Anja Brucker

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reveal the benefits of organized voluntary emergency services (OVES) in the case of flood events, since such information is mostly not available, but needed to analyze the total effects of disasters and respective responses. Moreover, the efficient allocation of scarce public resources for emergency and risk management should be based on empirical data. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a qualitative framework describing the benefits of OVES, the authors develop different tools for monetizing tangible as well as intangible benefits and apply them for case studies in Austria. Findings – The benefits of volunteer efforts for emergency management cannot be monetized easily, since they are often of intangible character. Nevertheless, we show that the benefits of OVES could be substantial. Research limitations/implications – As the authors analyze case studies, the results cannot be directly transferred to other regions, but illustrate the empirical dimension of the benefits of OVES. Further research should be undertaken to assess the benefits of avoided losses by OVES using single-object data. Practical implications – Since many emergency service institutions are involved during/after natural hazards, data availability and exchange should be improved. Objective decisions for investment in emergency services should be based on data of recent hazard events and case studies. Originality/value – The paper develops a toolbox to evaluate the benefits of OVES and is thus highly valuable for emergency managers, which are responsible for deploying volunteers and non-volunteers in emergency management.

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 933-950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhan Xu

PurposeNatural disasters are increasingly more frequent and intense, which makes it critical for emergency managers to engage social media users during crises. This study examined emergency official accounts' social media engagement at each disaster stage based on Fink's four-stage model of crisis and disaster: prodromal, acute, chronic and termination stages and linked topics and sentiments to engagement.Design/methodology/approachUsing text mining and sentiment analysis, 1,226 original tweets posted by 66 major emergency official Twitter accounts and more than 15,000 retweets elicited across the life cycle of Hurricane Irma were analyzed.FindingsResults identified the most engaging official accounts and tweets. Most tweets and the most engaging tweets were posted in the prodromal stage. Tweets related to certain topics were significantly more engaging than others. The most frequently tweeted topics by official accounts were less engaging than some seldom tweeted topics. Negative sentiment words increased the engagingness of the tweet. Sadness was the strongest predictor of tweet engagement. Tweets that contained fewer sadness words were more engaging. Fear was stronger in positively predicting tweet engagement than anger. Results also demonstrated that words for fear and anger were critical in engaging social media discussions in the prodromal stage. Words for sadness made the tweets less engaging in the chronic stage.Originality/valueThis study provided detailed instructions on how to increase the engagingness of emergency management official accounts during disasters using computational methods. Findings have practical implications for both emergency managers and crisis researchers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 4-6

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Negotiation is a key tool in delivering competitive advantage but requires a clear and consistent approach closely linked to organizational strategy. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 16-18

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Blending global and regional planning is important for multinationals. Within a central framework, local offices should have input. Different regions will approach this in different ways, but regional planning needs to be in-synch with central planning cycles. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists, and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (11) ◽  
pp. 8-10

Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – The innovator’s dilemma is a relatively new story, although it seems to have been around in decades. The dilemma relates to established firms who cannot decide whether to “stick or twist” in their strategy. If they stay with their current offering, they will gradually lose market share or could quickly be overturned by a fast-paced competitor; if they invest in change, they will lose their profitable existence with no guarantee of success. Practical implications – The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 15-17 ◽  

Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – Becoming increasingly reliant on the web as a principal source of finding information is altering our brains and the way that we obtain and hold knowledge. We are becoming less reliant on our memories to hold knowledge, instead using technology – and search engines like Google in particular – to deposit and retrieve information. Practical implications – The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations. Social implications – The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that can have a broader social impact. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – Cooking is big business right now. Television cooking shows are highly popular and this in turn is generating interest in cooking as a pastime. As a result, many professional chefs are becoming celebrities, endorsing products and publishing books. Less obvious is their role as the leader of a team and the driving force behind the development of apprentice chefs. They set the pace and direction of learning in the kitchen and have an important role as a coach and facilitator. Practical implications – The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Agile learning strategies and agile core competencies are crucial to the success of organizations in the digital economy. These principles can be adopted by others to gain and maintain competitive advantage. 10; 10; Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Businesses have scope to increase customer loyalty to the firm through the introduction of loyalty programs. Relevance of such programs to target consumers is critical and their overall impact can be enhanced through the use of effective communication. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings All organizations need cybersecurity solutions to function in the digital age. For entrepreneurial ventures, what is required varies on their need for privacy, and how digitally adept they already are. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings The study uses two case studies to explore the integration-responsiveness problem in multi-national enterprises and finds that locally sensitive employer branding and facilitating employee voice can help mitigate global-local tensions in religiously sensitive environments. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


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