Organisational narratives of past events and their implications for disaster preparation in civil protection and emergency management
Abstract as pdf
Corresponding Author:
Jasmina Schmidt
Freie Universität Berlin Germany
jasmina.schmidt@fu-berlin.de
Author(s):
Rebecca Lange1
1Freie Universität Berlin, Rebecca.Lange@Fu-Berlin.De, DEU
Meteorological forecasting for future weather events is crucial for preparatory practices of organisations involved in civil protection and emergency management, and its data accuracy is continuously improving. However, such technical advances only can have a positive impact on decision-making of meteorological laypersons if this information is understood by them and implemented in their existing practices (Kox et al. 2018). To assess the handling and understanding of weather information and the inherent uncertainties of forecasting the future, not only a psychological and social science perspective but especially an anthropological perspective is indispensable as it enables to gain further insights about how information is used and acted upon – especially in preparation for an event.
Organisational preparatory practices for weather events are informed by an array of aspects. One of them can be seen in the narration of past events as narrations are part of organisational structure and culture (Browning 1991). With a practicebased approach, this research aims to shed some light on how organisational narratives inform preparatory practices for future weather events in emergency management and shows the importance of collective experiences of emergency management personnel to their handling of threats. It is based on two case studies: fire brigades in Brandenburg, Germany and their management of wildfire danger, and the German road traffic sector in relation to weather warnings and road safety. The study is part of a wider interdisciplinary research project in collaboration with Germany's National Meteorological Service DWD.
The emphasis of this conference contribution lies on organisational culture of the aforementioned organisations and their narratives about past events, how those inform practices aimed at future events and hence, how risks towards severe weather events are interpreted. We will present first results of focus group discussions and semi-structured ethnographic interviews with representatives of actors involved in wildfire management as well as road safety. Findings show that organisational culture, imaginations of future risks and interpretation of extreme weather events – albeit in combination with technological forecasting tools – are relevant to practices in emergency management and should be taken in to consideration when we talk about disaster preparedness.
Browning, L. (1991). Organisational Narratives and Organisational Structure. Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 59-67.
Kox, T., Lüder, C. & Gerhold, L. (2018). Anticipation and Response: Emergency Services in Severe Weather Situations in Germany. Int J Disaster Risk Sci 9, pp. 116-128.
Deep cultures of disaster: The significance of the anthropological perspective for understanding the interstices of hazards and disaster