Empowering Frontline Emergency Managers: Organizational Structures, Partnerships, and Community Responsibility

• In Event: Community Responses to National Crises

Abstract

This study explores how organizational and individual-level factors shape frontline emergency management professionals’ (EMPs) sense of community responsibility (SCR), a construct increasingly recognized as pivotal to disaster preparedness and response. Drawing on a national survey of 362 university-based EMPs involved in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, the research examines the direct and indirect effects of decentralized decision-making structures, established interorganizational partnerships, and perceived response efficacy on EMPs’ SCR.

Building on literature in community psychology, public administration, and disaster management, the study conceptualizes SCR as an action-oriented construct reflecting EMPs’ willingness to serve broader community needs during crises. Guided by a resource-based theoretical framework and tested through structural equation modeling (SEM), the findings highlight three key relationships. First, decentralized decision-making significantly enhances EMPs’ SCR by empowering them to assess localized risks, develop tailored responses, and foster inclusive stakeholder engagement. Second, managerial perceptions of response efficacy—defined as confidence in the organization's capacity, partnerships, and collaborative willingness—serve as a critical mediating variable, strengthening the influence of both structural and relational factors on SCR. Third, while pre-existing partnerships do not directly predict higher SCR, they significantly improve perceived response efficacy, which in turn promotes greater community-oriented behavior.

The study finds that EMPs in decentralized structures are more likely to report higher SCR, both through direct empowerment and via increased confidence in response effectiveness. These findings suggest that decentralization not only distributes decision authority but also fosters a psychological shift among managers, reinforcing their identification with community needs and their moral commitment to public service. Established partnerships, meanwhile, support SCR indirectly by reducing coordination costs and enhancing resource mobilization capacity—especially when activated during uncertain or large-scale emergencies like COVID-19.

These results underscore the importance of designing institutional structures that empower frontline managers and foster trust-based, pre-disaster partnerships. While decentralized systems enable responsive, context-specific decision-making, their full impact is realized when frontline managers also perceive their institutions as capable and collaborative. This dual lens—structural and perceptual—provides a nuanced understanding of how to cultivate public service commitment in disaster contexts.

Policy implications include the need for universities and public agencies to formalize decentralized decision-making protocols, invest in continuous partnership development, and support ongoing training to enhance managers’ confidence in institutional capacities. Moreover, strategic engagement with external partners—beyond compliance-oriented collaborations—should aim to build durable networks grounded in mutual responsibility. These practices can create an enabling environment for frontline EMPs to lead with confidence and community commitment during emergencies.

Author

• Suyang Yu, University of Illinois, Springfield
  Presenting Author