Improving Employee Morale: FEMA and the Future of Emergency Management

• In Event: Human Behavior in Disasters

Abstract

Employee morale is critical to the performance of any organization, but it is of particular importance in high-stakes public service organizations that work in emergency management, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In such environments, employees are frequently exposed to high levels of stress, uncertainty, and operational pressure, which can significantly influence their workplace attitudes and performance. This study aims to identify organizational and leadership factors that contribute to or diminish the morale of FEMA employees using the 2024 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS). By focusing on a large federal agency with a critical national mission, the study contributes to a better understanding of workforce dynamics in emergency management settings. Specifically, the study examines the following two research questions. First, what organizational and leadership predictors are associated with FEMA employees’ morale? Second, are there differences in FEMA employees’ morale across demographic factors and supervisory status? These questions are important for identifying both structural and individual-level influences on employee well-being. The results, which are based on responses from 10,105 FEMA employees, show that morale (Global Satisfaction Index) is best predicted by employee engagement, recognition, work–life support, and communication. These findings highlight the importance of workplace climate and leadership practices in shaping employee experiences. Statistically significant but substantively small differences in FEMA employees’ morale were found across demographic subgroups, with supervisors, older employees, and those with longer tenure having higher morale. This suggests that while demographic factors play a role, their practical impact is limited compared to organizational variables. The results demonstrate that morale is a function of organizationally malleable factors that FEMA can invest in to strengthen its workforce. This reinforces the idea that management interventions can have meaningful effects even in high-demand public service environments. Although demographic factors are beyond the agency’s control, there are opportunities that can be leveraged to improve employee morale. This study provides some policy and practical recommendations for improving FEMA employees’ morale. They include increasing engagement within the agency, recognizing employee performance, developing programs to improve work-life support, and developing a culture of open communication. These recommendations are intended to be actionable and scalable within federal organizations. This study concludes by outlining the study limitations and suggesting ideas for future research, including the need for more in-depth and longitudinal analyses.

Author

• Hasan Isgandar, Western Carolina University
  Presenting Author