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- Title
- ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT, ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR, AND PERCEIVED PERFORMANCE: ANALYSIS OF CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION UNITS OF TURKISH NATIONAL POLICE.
- Creator
-
Tongur, Aykut, Kapucu, Naim, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Policing is more difficult than ever before in today's world since types of crime and criminal profiles change as a result of technological development and globalization. Police organizations should review their organizational and operational strategies to improve the fight against contemporary crimes and criminals. Behaviors and performance of police officers are very important in fighting crime. In this struggle, especially today, officers should exhibit organizational citizenship behaviors...
Show morePolicing is more difficult than ever before in today's world since types of crime and criminal profiles change as a result of technological development and globalization. Police organizations should review their organizational and operational strategies to improve the fight against contemporary crimes and criminals. Behaviors and performance of police officers are very important in fighting crime. In this struggle, especially today, officers should exhibit organizational citizenship behaviors and perform better. One of the most important factors affecting these two concepts in organizations is organizational support. The literature stresses the social exchange cycle and reciprocity rules in the relationships of organizations and their members. In this cycle, if the organization cares about its members and if members perceive that the organization is supportive, they feel obliged to behave positively, perform better, and help the organization to reach its goals and objectives. If they don't perceive organizational support, they won't care about the organization, either. Hypotheses were developed based on these assumptions in the literature. This study tested these assumptions in Crime Scene Investigation units of the Turkish National Police (TNP). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the relationships among variables of Perceived Organizational Support (POS), Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB), and Perceived Performance (PP). Measurement models for these three latent constructs were developed by deriving the indicators from the literature. Most earlier studies tried to figure out reasons of the OCB. This study has a different perspective that investigates both reasons and results of OCB. A survey was developed to measure the latent variables of the study, and 405 of approximately 3,000 Crime Scene Investigators in the Turkish National Police responded to the iv survey. Results of the study showed that the relationship between POS and OCB is positive and significant. This is consistent with the literature. The relationship between OCB and PP is also positive and significant, and this is also consistent with the literature. However, the relationship between POS and PP is negative and insignificant. This result contradicts the results of previous studies in the literature and can be attributed to the subjective nature of measuring individuals' perceptions. According to the literature, perceptions are subjective rather than objective; therefore, data coming from reports of individual perceptions may not reflect the actual situation. Demographic information of the participants served as the control variables of the study. Information about the education level, rank, age, gender, size of the unit, and tenure of the respondents was collected by way of the conducted survey, and the effects of these variables were analyzed on the endogenous variable of the study, Perceived Performance. This study found no significant relationships between these control variables and Perceived Performance. Therefore, all these control variables were removed from the Structural Equation Model of the study. This study revealed that the TNP needs to be more supportive toward its members in order to have officers show organizational citizenship behavior and perform better. The TNP should revise its policies, especially regarding rotations from one province to another, working hours, rewards, and overtime pay. These are all indicators of organizational support and will result in a higher performance level among officers.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004058, ucf:49124
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004058
- Title
- DETERMINANTS OF INTERPERSONAL TRUST, ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT FOR PERFORMANCE WITHIN KYRGYZ NATIONAL POLICE.
- Creator
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Bakiev, Erlan, Kapucu, Naim, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Improving organizational performance is an essential goal for any type of organization. This process involves varieties of methods, polices and strategies. One of the important elements of organizational performance is trust-building process which deeply depends on leadership efforts of ranked employees and managers. Literature has enough empirical evidence on influence of trust and trusted work environment on organizational performance. Aftermath of recent riots and clashes in Kyrgyzstan...
Show moreImproving organizational performance is an essential goal for any type of organization. This process involves varieties of methods, polices and strategies. One of the important elements of organizational performance is trust-building process which deeply depends on leadership efforts of ranked employees and managers. Literature has enough empirical evidence on influence of trust and trusted work environment on organizational performance. Aftermath of recent riots and clashes in Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz National Police (KNP) officers are demoralized by the actions of both previous and current governments which bear corruption, bribery and clan type of ruling. These facts led to untrustworthy environments and relationships among officers with concentration of power on the top. In order to provide trusted environments and trust among officers, there is need for more linear type of management, especially in terms of supervisor-subordinate relationships. There is urgent need for reforms at KNP which would focus more on governance and collaborative management style administration. Organizational social capital and organizational citizenship behavior develop strong foundation for trusted relationships and committed actions in communities and organizations. These two concepts were examined in public organization setting in this study. Organizational social capital is a source for trust building process where participative decision-making, feedback on performance, empowerment and interpersonal trust among employees are important elements of this phenomenon. On the other hand, organizational citizenship behavior is a source for entrepreneurship and organizational commitment. iv The measurement models of four dimensions of organizational social capital (participation, feedback on performance, empowerment and interpersonal trust) and organizational citizenship behavior represented by organizational commitment were examined in this study. The influence of organizational social capital and organizational citizenship behavior on perceived organizational performance of KNP is observed by utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. Moreover, all possible correlations among all dimensions of organizational social capital with each other and with organizational commitment were tested. This study utilizes the data accomplished in 7 regions of Kyrgyzstan and a capital of Bishkek. The total number of respondents participated in the survey were 267 KNP officers from different KNP departments. This study tested eleven hypotheses where nine of them were statically supported. The results of this study indicate that the dimensions of organizational social capital (participation, feedback and empowerment) have statistically significant relationships with perceived organizational performance through mediating variable of interpersonal trust. However, the relationship of participation and feedback with perceived organizational performance through mediating variable of organizational commitment was insignificant. On the other hand, results indicated positive correlations among the three dimensions organizational social capital with high factor loadings. Overall, the results suggest that organizational social capital with its dimensions is the main source of trust-building process which enormously influences perceived organizational performance. Moreover, by practicing empowerment it is possible to increase number of committed officers which is also an important factor in improving organizational performance.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003951, ucf:48696
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003951
- Title
- THE EFFECTS OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIPON EMPLOYEESÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ' PERCEIVED LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESSIN PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS: FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY CASE.
- Creator
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KARACA, HASAN, KAPUCU, NAIM, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As the capacity of public leaders to bring about change is increasingly questioned, public agencies have come under pressure to transform and innovate. More research is needed to identify how leaders who promote innovation, creativity, and adaptability affect the performance of public organizations. Constant improvement of organizations and individuals encourages leaders to innovate, evaluate risks as opportunities, and tackle the status quo. This raises the significance of how...
Show moreAs the capacity of public leaders to bring about change is increasingly questioned, public agencies have come under pressure to transform and innovate. More research is needed to identify how leaders who promote innovation, creativity, and adaptability affect the performance of public organizations. Constant improvement of organizations and individuals encourages leaders to innovate, evaluate risks as opportunities, and tackle the status quo. This raises the significance of how transformational leadership contributes to organizational performance and reacts to public agenciesÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ' environment, and how it might reorganize them. The present study examines the relationship between transformational leadership behaviors and perceived leadership effectiveness in public organizations, particularly Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The study specifically focuses on FEMA as an independent agency and as an agency under the Department of Homeland Security. It also measures transformational leadership behaviors and explores how they relate to public employeesÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ' perceptions of leadership effectiveness as reported by the 2002, 2006, and 2008 Federal Human Capital Surveys (FHCS). Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to validate the construct validity for the perceived leadership effectiveness measurement model. Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the study hypotheses. This study has found that transformational leadership behaviorsÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ--idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, and inspirational motivationÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ-- all have a significant relationship with perceived leadership effectiveness. Each dimension of transformational leadership has a positive effect on employeesÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ' perceptions of leadership effectiveness, with intellectual stimulation having the highest effect. The standardized regression weights of exogenous variables are: .24 for idealized influence, .48 for intellectual stimulation, and .29 for inspirational motivation. Overall, these predictor variables accounted for 86% of the variance in perceived leadership effectiveness. Findings of the study reveals several organizational, managerial, and policy implications relating to increasing the effects of transformational leadership behaviors on employeesÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ' perceived leadership effectiveness and organizational performance. The study points out the significance of communication and information sharing, and providing sufficient opportunities to do a better job in public organizations. The findings also confirm that the leaders are required to obtain inspirational motivation behaviors and use them to give a feeling of personal empowerment to the employees.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003397, ucf:48421
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003397
- Title
- PERSONAL PERCEPTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING POLICE DISCRETION: THE CASE OF TURKISH PATROL OFFICERS' RESPONSIVENESS.
- Creator
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Tasdoven, Hidayet, Kapucu, Naim, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Police officers make decisions at the street level in a variety of situations that have direct impact on quality of life, justice in society, and individual freedom. These decisions inherently involve the exercise of discretion, since successfully performed police tasks are linked to the officer's choosing among alternative courses of action. Appropriateness of unsupervised decisions taken under street contingencies remains questionable in terms of police-behavior legitimacy. Law enforcement...
Show morePolice officers make decisions at the street level in a variety of situations that have direct impact on quality of life, justice in society, and individual freedom. These decisions inherently involve the exercise of discretion, since successfully performed police tasks are linked to the officer's choosing among alternative courses of action. Appropriateness of unsupervised decisions taken under street contingencies remains questionable in terms of police-behavior legitimacy. Law enforcement agencies seek ways to control excessive discretion to avoid undesired consequences of police discretion and maintain organizational legitimacy. Traditionally, organizations developed reward and sanction structures that aimed to shape officer behavior on the street. Recent perspectives, on the other hand, emphasize that it is imperative to manage discretion by employing a value-based approach that requires the agency to encourage subordinates in the exercise of certain behaviors simply because they are believed to be right and proper. This approach depends primarily on beliefs, values, and attitudes of employees rather than external contingencies of environment. Drawing on expectancy and value-based approaches, this study examines the factors affecting patrol officers' discretionary decisions to enforce law in the Turkish National Police (TNP). The reward expectancy concept was derived from the expectancy theory of motivation, which uses extrinsic rewards in structuring discretion. Regarding the value-based approach, public service motivation (PSM) represents the intrinsic motives of officers in this study, while selective enforcement corresponds to the attitudes of officers. Discretionary behaviors of officers on the street were conceptualized as responsiveness, which refers to the degree to which officers iv are willing to respond to street contingencies. The study tested the mediating role of work effort between reward expectancy/responsiveness and public service motivation/responsiveness relationships. Samples of the study were drawn from uniformed patrol officers in seven provinces of Turkey. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Responses of 613 patrol officers were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study developed four latent constructs and validated their measurement models by using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Structural equation modeling was used to investigate causal and confirmatory relationships among latent variables. Findings of the study suggested that reward expectancy did not have a statistically significant relationship to responsiveness. The study did not find a significant association between reward expectancy and work effort of officers. This finding was found to be attributable to the fact that officers do not believe in the fair distribution procedures of rewards and they do not value organizational rewards. Public service motivation of respondents, on the other hand, indicated a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship with both work effort and responsiveness. These results indicated that intrinsic motives of officers in the TNP are more powerful in explaining officer responsiveness to street contingencies. As hypothesized, officer attitudes toward selective enforcement negatively influenced officer responsiveness, indicating that officers' beliefs and values influence their discretionary behaviors. Among the demographic characteristics of participants, only age of officer indicated a negative significant relationship to responsiveness. This finding suggested that motivation decreases as age increases. Contrary to other findings in the literature, this study found that intensity perceptions of respondents was positively associated with responsiveness. The study revealed some policy, theoretical, and methodological implications. The findings suggested that the TNP should either completely eliminate the existing reward system or revise it to motivate officers to be responsive. A leadership practice that promotes PSM and discourages selective enforcement was also suggested. Contrary to research that emphasizes the role of extrinsic motivation on police discretion, this study empirically reported that intrinsic motivation has an even stronger effect on officer behavior and needs to be taken into account in future studies. The study contributes to an understanding of police discretionary behavior in the TNP, which has unique characteristics of structure, culture, and law. The limitations of the study in terms of its dependency on officer perceptions and concerns about construct validity were discussed and future research was suggested.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003886, ucf:48734
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003886
- Title
- THE IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL GOAL CONVERGENCE, INFORMATION-COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION, AND INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL TRUST ON NETWORK FORMATION AND SUSTAINABILITY: THE CASE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES.
- Creator
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Garayev, Vener, Kapucu, Naim, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
With the increase of severity and scope of disasters, collaborative networks have become the main tool to tackle with complex emergencies. Networks, however, are mostly effective to the extent they are maintained over time. This study analyzes whether organizational goal convergence, information-communication technology utilization, and inter-organizational trust impacts network sustainability. The main research questions of the study are: (1) How are organizational goals, technical...
Show moreWith the increase of severity and scope of disasters, collaborative networks have become the main tool to tackle with complex emergencies. Networks, however, are mostly effective to the extent they are maintained over time. This study analyzes whether organizational goal convergence, information-communication technology utilization, and inter-organizational trust impacts network sustainability. The main research questions of the study are: (1) How are organizational goals, technical/technological capacity of organizations, and trust among organizations of a network are related to the sustainability of collaborative network relationships? (2) Which of the above-mentioned factors plays the most significant role in affecting network sustainability? Covering the context of emergency management system in the United States, this study utilized a self-administered survey that was electronically distributed to county emergency managers across the country. The data consisting of 534 complete responses was analyzed in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Inc. software's PASW (Predictive Analytics SoftWare) Statistics version 18.0 and transferred to Amos 18.0 software for structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. The findings suggest that organizational goal convergence, information-communication technology utilization, and inter-organizational trust have positive and statistically significant relationships with network sustainability; and, inter-organizational trust is the strongest factor followed by information-communication technology utilization and organizational goal convergence. The study contributes to the literature on network sustainability with specific suggestions for emergency management practitioners.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003920, ucf:48738
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003920
- Title
- UNDERSTANDING COLLABORATION, ITS ANTECEDENTS AND PERCEIVED OUTCOMES IN SERVICE PARTNERSHIPS OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
- Creator
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Concha, Maritza, Kapucu , Naim, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this study is to assess the motivations of community-based organizations (CBOs) staff to participate in service partnerships and their influence on collaboration practices and perceived outcomes of collaborative efforts. This study uses structural equation modeling to assess the relationships between exogenous variables (motivational factors) and endogenous variables (inter-organizational collaboration and perceived outcomes). This study also uses qualitative methods to address...
Show moreThe purpose of this study is to assess the motivations of community-based organizations (CBOs) staff to participate in service partnerships and their influence on collaboration practices and perceived outcomes of collaborative efforts. This study uses structural equation modeling to assess the relationships between exogenous variables (motivational factors) and endogenous variables (inter-organizational collaboration and perceived outcomes). This study also uses qualitative methods to address perceptions on collaboration not captured by the survey instrument. A total of 538 service partnership staff (supervisors and front liners) received the survey's link or a copy of the survey to participate. Out of the 538, 217 completed the survey which represents a 40% response rate. Due to missing responses and multiple outliers, 201 observations were used for analysis. Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that the development of service partnerships are mostly affected by environmental factors related to solving social problems which accounts for 37% of variance in inter-organizational collaboration. Empirical evidence from this study has shown that CBOs staff have the tendency to work for the purpose of meeting their social missions. Furthermore, inter-organizational collaboration accounts for 76% of variance in perceived outcomes. When a three factor collaboration model was created, it was further noticed that cognitive and resource reciprocity statistically significant influence perceived outcomes where differences in the perceptions of front liners and supervisors were also found. These findings highlight important aspects to understand the collaboration dynamics of service partnerships and also points out the different views of community based organization staff regarding the motivation to collaborate and the impact of collaboration practices in perceived collaboration outcomes. However, it is also important to note that findings on the comparison between front liners and supervisors are exploratory in nature as there could be other external factors that could affect the impact in inter-organizational collaboration and collaboration outcomes. Regarding the focus groups, three themes emerged with respect to the motivations for participating in service partnerships. Agents for social change, building relationships and needs of resources are recurrent themes that explained the desires to collaborate. On collaboration practices, two main general themes emerged which are interdependence and partnership values. Lastly, impacting the community, sustainability issues and expanding services were the main themes found when perception of service partnership outcomes was addressed. Findings of this study suggest further exploration on multi-dimensional models of collaboration, investigate differences in staff perceptions, and continue exploring the influence of social threat responsiveness in inter-organizational collaboration and perceived partnerships outcomes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003959, ucf:48709
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003959
- Title
- The Use of Crisis Communication Strategies to Build Community Resilience: Evidence from Emergency Managers.
- Creator
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Haupt, Brittany, Kapucu, Naim, Knox, Claire, Emrich, Christopher, Sellnow, Timothy, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As public administration evolved to encompass a strong focus on supporting safe growth and development for communities, the role and responsibilities of government became increasingly complex with aspects of emergency management becoming quintessential. The ability to assess resilience plays a strong role in understanding the capability of a community to face a range of threats. Additionally, issues with communication uncovered the need to understand how administrators collect, disseminate,...
Show moreAs public administration evolved to encompass a strong focus on supporting safe growth and development for communities, the role and responsibilities of government became increasingly complex with aspects of emergency management becoming quintessential. The ability to assess resilience plays a strong role in understanding the capability of a community to face a range of threats. Additionally, issues with communication uncovered the need to understand how administrators collect, disseminate, and adapt critical information through understanding crisis type and local community needs. This dissertation discusses the connection between public administration and emergency management, the evolution of crisis communication and strategies, resilience and its measurement, along with Situational Crisis Communication Theory. This study conducted an online-survey of county, and county-equivalent, emergency managers across the United States. Results of Structural Equation Modeling included statistically significant relationships between Crisis Type and Local Community Needs on Crisis Communication Strategies as well as between strategies onto Community Resilience. Comparative analysis with the Baseline Resilience Indicators for Communities showed stark contrast in perceived resilience capacity. Follow-up, semi-structured interviews were conducted with voluntary respondents and analyzed via axial, deductive coding. Comparing quantitative and qualitative analysis highlighted the importance of county characteristics, critical relationships, overcoming obstacles, need for learning and adaptation, and importance of communication.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007013, ucf:52046
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007013
- Title
- Threatening Instructions During a Hurricane Influence Risk Perceptions: The Case of Fear Appeals and Changing Hurricane Projections.
- Creator
-
Whitmer, Daphne, Sims, Valerie, Chin, Matthew, Bowers, Clint, Kapucu, Naim, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The goal of this research was to examine the effectiveness of persuasive language in the protective action recommendation of an emergency warning, which instructs people how to prepare and stay safe. Study 1 was a pilot study, which suggested that participants were able to make distinctions between hurricane categories. In study 2, the presence of fear language and second-person personal pronouns (i.e., (")you(")) in a recommendation was manipulated. Overall, fear language was more...
Show moreThe goal of this research was to examine the effectiveness of persuasive language in the protective action recommendation of an emergency warning, which instructs people how to prepare and stay safe. Study 1 was a pilot study, which suggested that participants were able to make distinctions between hurricane categories. In study 2, the presence of fear language and second-person personal pronouns (i.e., (")you(")) in a recommendation was manipulated. Overall, fear language was more influential than a pronoun on risk perceptions. To understand how context influences risk perceptions, participants in study 3 made decisions after each piece of information received. The severity of the hurricane increased, decreased, or stayed the same before decision point 2 and a recommendation containing fear or neutral language was presented before decision point 3. Those who read the fear message were more likely to be in the danger control process than those in the neutral language condition, which suggested that the fear message emphasized threat but did not diminish participants' perception of efficacy. Behavioral compliance with the warning was high in all conditions. In terms of change in perceived threat from decision point 2 to 3, participants in the decrease condition who read the fear appeal had the largest increase in perceived threat. In contrast, the hurricane increasing in intensity may be fear provoking enough that a fear appeal does not enhance risk perceptions. When examining individual differences, high Need for Cognition women had the largest increase in perceived message persuasiveness in the decrease and increase conditions.Phrasing guidelines for emergency management are discussed, along with the theoretical contributions of using social psychological methodology to examine emergency warnings. While individual differences are important predictors of warning interpretation, future research needs to reconcile the conundrum of emergency management's current limitations regarding individualized warnings.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007554, ucf:52611
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007554
- Title
- Factors Influencing the Variability in Social Capital.
- Creator
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Downing, James, Wan, Thomas, Kapucu, Naim, Zhang, Ning, Ford, Robert, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This research provides insights into three aspects of social capital: the factors that influence its variability; its two-dimensional nature; and the relationship between social capital and membership in a YMCA. These insights have implications for social capital theory, for public policy, for organizational management and for individual well-being. Most social capital research treats the construct as a causal variable and analyzes the implications of different levels of social capital for...
Show moreThis research provides insights into three aspects of social capital: the factors that influence its variability; its two-dimensional nature; and the relationship between social capital and membership in a YMCA. These insights have implications for social capital theory, for public policy, for organizational management and for individual well-being. Most social capital research treats the construct as a causal variable and analyzes the implications of different levels of social capital for certain aspects of individual and community well-being. This treatment implies that levels of social capital vary. Little research has been done to analyze the factors that cause social capital variability and therefore the understanding of social capital variability lacks insight. Before social capital variability can be explored, an intermediate issue must be addressed. Social capital is usually conceived of as a single-dimension construct. In fact social capital has two dimensions: the attitudes of social capital and the behaviors of social capital. Unidimensionality is sufficient when social capital is used exogenously but it is insufficiently nuanced when used for the purpose of recommending policies to increase it. This research analyzes the two-dimensional nature of social capital. Finally, a number of social capital behaviors have been studied but membership in the YMCA is not one of them. This research examines the relationship, ceteris paribus, between membership in the Central Florida YMCA and individual social capital.A survey questionnaire was mailed to 10,000 YMCA members in Central Florida and 21,000 residents who were demographically similar. There were 1,881 completed responses. The results were analyzed using structural equation modeling and were guided by social capital theory and the theory of reasoned action.ivThe results of the study indicate that the two most influential factors of social capital variability are personal educational attainment and the average educational attainment of the community. The study also confirms that social capital is a two-dimensional construct and the two dimensions are iterative. The study results also revealed that members of the Central Florida YMCA had higher levels of social capital ceteris paribus.This study is significant in four areas: social capital theory, public policy, management of social capital-generating organizations and for individuals. At the theoretical level, insight has been gained into both the causes of social capital variability and the two-dimensional nature of social capital. Regarding public policy, this research provides clear evidence that education provides a greater role in building a community than simply creating human capital; it also creates social capital. Both educational institutions and those organizations that create social capital should be supported. Furthermore, social capital promulgation through public policy should target both dimensions of social capital to be most effective. For managers of social capital-generating organizations social capital can be used as a metric for measuring organizational effectiveness and community impact. For individuals, there is now an evidence-based approach for developing a life plan for creating personal social capital. This research is unique because it simultaneously brings insights into four distinct spheres of social capital.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004103, ucf:49085
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004103
- Title
- Assessing the Impact of Economies of Scale and Uncontrollable Factors on the Performance of U.S. Cities.
- Creator
-
Allaf, Mamoon, Martin, Lawrence, Wan, Thomas, Kapucu, Naim, Baker, Paul, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Despite the increased interest among local governments in collecting data on performance measurement, empirical evidence is still limited regarding the extent to which these data are utilized to assess the impact on efficiency of economies of scale and uncontrollable factors. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a linear programming method designed to estimate the relative efficiency of decision-making units. In addition to assessing relative efficiency, DEA can estimate scale efficiency and...
Show moreDespite the increased interest among local governments in collecting data on performance measurement, empirical evidence is still limited regarding the extent to which these data are utilized to assess the impact on efficiency of economies of scale and uncontrollable factors. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a linear programming method designed to estimate the relative efficiency of decision-making units. In addition to assessing relative efficiency, DEA can estimate scale efficiency and incorporate the impact of uncontrollable factors. Using data from the International City/County Association (ICMA), this study utilized DEA to evaluate the impact of economies of scale and uncontrollable factors on the relative efficiency of municipal service delivery in the United States. The findings from this doctoral dissertation show that uncontrollable variables such as population density, unemployment, and household income suppress the relative efficiency of local governments. Moreover, the findings imply that the prevalence of economies of scale in city governments depends on the types of services these governments provide.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004201, ucf:49002
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004201
- Title
- MEASURING MULTILEVEL CONSTRUCTS: THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FEATURES OF TEAM BEHAVIORAL PROCESS UNDER COMPILATIONAL MODELS.
- Creator
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Murase, Toshio, Dechurch, Leslie, Salas, Eduardo, Bowers, Clint, Kapucu, Naim, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Since at least the 1950s, researchers interested in studying the dynamics of small groups have struggled with how best to measure interaction processes. Although team process measurement issues are not particularly unique in terms of content, measuring multilevel phenomena presents an interesting problem because structural aspects are integral components of emergence. The elemental content of multilevel phenomena is wholly unique and distinguishable from the elemental content of composite...
Show moreSince at least the 1950s, researchers interested in studying the dynamics of small groups have struggled with how best to measure interaction processes. Although team process measurement issues are not particularly unique in terms of content, measuring multilevel phenomena presents an interesting problem because structural aspects are integral components of emergence. The elemental content of multilevel phenomena is wholly unique and distinguishable from the elemental content of composite units, and emerges as individual behaviors compile to higher levels of analyses. Analogous to chemical structures, behavioral phenomena manifest at higher levels in different structural patterns as members connect to one another through dynamic interactions. Subsequently, multilevel phenomena are more appropriately characterized in terms of pattern in addition to the traditionally measured intensity. The vast majority of teams research conceptualizes and operationalizes multilevel phenomena based on compositional (i.e., additive) models. This approach impedes the further advancement of the science of team effectiveness by capturing content and intensity, but not structure. This dissertation argues that compilational models better capture content, intensity, and structure, and therefore represent a preferred alternative for conceptualizing and operationalizing team processes. This dissertation details measurement issues associated with compositional models in teams research, and provides concepts helpful for reconceptualizing team processes as compilational forms.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0004145, ucf:49048
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004145
- Title
- A Wolf in Military Clothing: A Case Study Examination of Lone Wolf Terrorism and the Roles and Responsibilities of Government Agencies.
- Creator
-
Bandel, Peter, Sadri, Houman, Houghton, David, Kapucu, Naim, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Since the fall of September, 2011, there has been a major increase in awareness and study of global terrorism. Academia, the media, politicians, and the average citizen all have varying definitions, ideas, and concerns about terrorism. The focus has mainly been on international terrorism. Terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda have permeated the discussion. However, there is a growing concern of the (")lone wolf terrorist.(") A lone wolf terrorist acts without a terrorist organization and is...
Show moreSince the fall of September, 2011, there has been a major increase in awareness and study of global terrorism. Academia, the media, politicians, and the average citizen all have varying definitions, ideas, and concerns about terrorism. The focus has mainly been on international terrorism. Terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda have permeated the discussion. However, there is a growing concern of the (")lone wolf terrorist.(") A lone wolf terrorist acts without a terrorist organization and is capable of having his/her own radical agenda with the audacity and simplicity to carry it out solely and enact great damage. The focus in the United States and globally has been on international lone wolf terrorists. This is important, but a longstanding concern (that often goes without much conversation) is the domestic lone wolf terrorist. Using Gustav Freytag's Triangle and Rational Choice theory, it is shown that lone wolf terrorism must be examined by the United States government to ensure safety of its citizens. A lone wolf terrorist is characterized as a United States citizen who enacts a terrorist action without being part of an organization or terror group. His motives are extremist in nature. This thesis examines the growing phenomena of the domestic lone wolf terrorist. In doing so, the primary function is to look at an even starker reality: that some lone wolf terrorists have served in the military, and during service have shown to portray radical thoughts and actions. Furthermore, these lone wolf terrorists used their military training and weapon insight to enact their catastrophic aims. This thesis uses a case study methodology to examine three lone wolf actors. From the Oklahoma City Bombing, to the 1996 Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta and on to the Ft. Hood shootings the studies find that in all cases the actors did have radical beliefs, military training and used that training in concert with their attacks. This thesis can be used as a discussion about lone wolf terrorism, but also about governance. The findings show an increased need for the Department of Defense to work closely with the Department of Homeland Security and seek greater advice from organizations like the Federal Bureau of Investigation in order to conduct better psychological studies and examinations of military personnel. A disclaimer must be made that this thesis does not, in any way, seek to disparage the amazing amount of work and sacrifice of United States government personnel and agencies. This thesis aims to provide research towards improved understanding and combating of lone wolf terrorism.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004507, ucf:49266
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004507
- Title
- The Relationship Between Nonprofit Capacity Building, Organizational Learning and Organizational Effectiveness: A Case Study of Strengthening Communities Fund Program in Central Florida.
- Creator
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Broxton, Margaret, Kapucu, Naim, Bryer, Thomas, Feldheim, Mary, Rivera, Fernando, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Nonprofit capacity building programs and program activities positively influence perceived organizational effectiveness. Being able to link nonprofit capacity building to organizational effectiveness is a paramount concern for both nonprofits seeking capacity building programming and those entities, be it foundations or government that fund capacity building initiatives and programs. Therefore being able to link nonprofit capacity building to organizational effectiveness and higher...
Show moreNonprofit capacity building programs and program activities positively influence perceived organizational effectiveness. Being able to link nonprofit capacity building to organizational effectiveness is a paramount concern for both nonprofits seeking capacity building programming and those entities, be it foundations or government that fund capacity building initiatives and programs. Therefore being able to link nonprofit capacity building to organizational effectiveness and higher performance is crucial to ensure that both nonprofit organizations and funders continue to pursue and support capacity building programming. Through an examination of the developing hollow state and the resulting nonprofit capacity disparity this study demonstrates the purposeful need for the continuation of nonprofit capacity building programming and the support of such programming through outside private foundation and government funding. Using a conceptual model developed from the literature on organizational learning and change this study examines the impact of capacity building programming, programming activities, organizational learning theory and perceived organizational effectiveness. The influence of the type of capacity building programming, i.e. traditional workshop and traditional workshop plus technical and financial assistance is investigated through the use of quantitative and qualitative methods. Specifically the quantitative methods utilized were descriptive including bi-variate correlation analysis, paired and independent T-tests, ANOVA and multiple regression. The qualitative analysis including examining open-ended survey question responses from two pre-post capacity building intervention surveys and one post program survey and the analysis of comments made in 10 focus groups. The influence of capacity building programming activities, i.e. organizational development, organizational program development, organizational collaboration and organizational leadership is investigated through the use of multiple regression and qualitative analysis. This study uses pre-, post-test survey data from a total of 43 nonprofit organizations that participated in the Strengthening Communities Fund in Central Florida Program, managed by the Center for Public and Nonprofit Management at the University of Central Florida. The two year program was offered in two identical 10 month cycles. Pre- and post-test data were collected from 23 participant organizations in Cycle 1 and 20 in Cycle 2. This study sought to identify the nonprofit capacity building programming modality and programming activities that contributed most to perceived organizational effectiveness. According to the findings, nonprofit organizations seeking capacity building and funders looking to support capacity building programs should look to programs that offer activities that increase organizational leadership capacity and organizational program development. Increasing organizational leadership capacity and organizational program development contributes most to perceived organizational effectiveness. This study did not find support to recommend one particular capacity building training modality over another. Regardless of the method of capacity building program delivery, i.e. workshop and/or technical and financial assistance, programs which build organizational leadership capacity and organizational program development will greatly influence the perceived organizational effectiveness of the capacity building participant organizations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004361, ucf:49417
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004361
- Title
- When There's No Home to Prepare: Understanding Natural Hazards Vulnerability Among the Homeless in Central Florida.
- Creator
-
Settembrino, Marc, Rivera, Fernando, Wright, James, Koontz, Amanda, Kapucu, Naim, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The current study explores the social construction of natural hazards vulnerability by examining the perceptions of emergency management personnel, homeless service providers and homeless men living in Central Florida. The matrix of vulnerability is proposed as a framework for studying disaster vulnerability, wherein vulnerability is viewed as a complex process consisting of social and physical risk, human agency and time. Using the matrix as a guiding framework, this study examines the risks...
Show moreThe current study explores the social construction of natural hazards vulnerability by examining the perceptions of emergency management personnel, homeless service providers and homeless men living in Central Florida. The matrix of vulnerability is proposed as a framework for studying disaster vulnerability, wherein vulnerability is viewed as a complex process consisting of social and physical risk, human agency and time. Using the matrix as a guiding framework, this study examines the risks that natural hazards present to the homeless living in Central Florida and the strategies used by the homeless to manage these risks. This study argues that because the homeless experience increased exposure to natural hazards coupled with potential chronic medical conditions, economic hardship, and social stigma, they are more vulnerable to natural hazards than the general population. However, this study finds that homeless men in Central Florida utilize a variety of strategies that help them manage their risks to severe and inclement weather in Central Florida.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004936, ucf:49618
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004936
- Title
- The Impact of Public Service Motivation on Reentry Managers' Decision-making Practices.
- Creator
-
Pryor, Marie, Kapucu, Naim, Hu, Qian, Blessett, Brandi, Potter, Roberto, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The goal of this exploratory study is to examine the effects of public service motivation (PSM) in predicting decision-making of criminal justice personnel (reentry managers) in the management of former prisoners. The overarching research question seeks to answer if, and in what way, PSM score influences reentry managers' approach to their work with the formerly incarcerated, who are in transition from prison back into the community. The main assumption of this study is that those reentry...
Show moreThe goal of this exploratory study is to examine the effects of public service motivation (PSM) in predicting decision-making of criminal justice personnel (reentry managers) in the management of former prisoners. The overarching research question seeks to answer if, and in what way, PSM score influences reentry managers' approach to their work with the formerly incarcerated, who are in transition from prison back into the community. The main assumption of this study is that those reentry managers with a higher PSM score will be more inclined to take an assistance oriented approach with former prisoners and be more likely to make rehabilitative decisions than those with lower PSM scores, who will be more inclined to assume a punitive role. This study utilized binomial logistic regression and chi-square analysis to test hypotheses. Survey data was collected over a period of three months in the summer and fall of 2014, and was based upon a national sample of 108 reentry managers whose agencies had received funding from a federal reentry grant. Follow-up interviews were also conducted with nine participants to provide deeper understanding of responses and explain some of the quantitative findings. Overall findings supported the key assumption with the overall sample possessing medium to high PSM scores and a greater frequency of making rehabilitative decisions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0006050, ucf:50973
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006050
- Title
- Gender and Social Capital: Implications for Women's Civic Engagement in Ecuador and Peru.
- Creator
-
Medina, Pamela, Bryer, Thomas, Kapucu, Naim, Feder, Lynette, Gau, Jacinta, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Civic engagement is a fundamental component of a healthy democracy, contributing to higher government accountability and overall improvement in (")good governance("). Civic engagement is particularly critical to subgroups which are under-represented in formal political structures, such as women, as it affords these groups the opportunity to voice their unique concerns. However, women participate less in many important forms of civic engagement. The United Nations and other international...
Show moreCivic engagement is a fundamental component of a healthy democracy, contributing to higher government accountability and overall improvement in (")good governance("). Civic engagement is particularly critical to subgroups which are under-represented in formal political structures, such as women, as it affords these groups the opportunity to voice their unique concerns. However, women participate less in many important forms of civic engagement. The United Nations and other international organizations have emphasized the importance of increasing women's voice and empowerment in an attempt to improve women's overall well-being, particularly in the developing world. Individual and contextual factors have demonstrated contributions toward influencing levels of civic engagement, but these effects only serve in partially explaining why women are less engaged. This study adds to this discussion by examining gender differences in the development and contribution of social capital (measured by networks and trust) to civic engagement within two young and developing democracies; Ecuador and Peru. The study finds that gender differences exist in how social capital is formed, but these differences don't explain women's decreased likelihood for engagement. Thus, social capital can be used to build civic engagement among both genders.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005842, ucf:50911
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005842
- Title
- Systems Geometry: A Methodology for Analyzing Emergent System of Systems Behaviors.
- Creator
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Bouwens, Christina, Sepulveda, Jose, Karwowski, Waldemar, Xanthopoulos, Petros, Kapucu, Naim, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Recent advancements in technology have led to the increased use of integrated 'systems of systems' (SoS) which link together independently developed and usable capabilities into an integrated system that exhibits new, emergent capabilities. However, the resulting SoS is often not well understood, where secondary and tertiary effects of tying systems together are often unpredictable and present severe consequences. The complexities of the composed system stem not only from system integration,...
Show moreRecent advancements in technology have led to the increased use of integrated 'systems of systems' (SoS) which link together independently developed and usable capabilities into an integrated system that exhibits new, emergent capabilities. However, the resulting SoS is often not well understood, where secondary and tertiary effects of tying systems together are often unpredictable and present severe consequences. The complexities of the composed system stem not only from system integration, but from a broad range of areas such as the competing objectives of different constituent system stakeholders, mismatched requirements from multiple process models, and architectures and interface approaches that are incompatible on multiple levels. While successful SoS development has proven to be a valuable tool for a wide range of applications, there are significant problems that remain with the development of such systems that need to be addressed during the early stages of engineering development within such environments. The purpose of this research is to define and demonstrate a methodology called Systems Geometry (SG) for analyzing SoS in the early stages of development to identify areas of potential unintended emergent behaviors as candidates for the employment of risk management strategies. SG focuses on three dimensions of interest when planning the development of a SoS: operational, functional, and technical. For Department of Defense (DoD) SoS, the operational dimension addresses the warfighter environment and includes characteristics such as mission threads and related command and control or simulation activities required to support the mission. The functional dimension highlights different roles associated with the development and use of the SoS, which could include a participant warfighter using the system, an analyst collecting data for system evaluation, or an infrastructure engineer working to keep the SoS infrastructure operational to support the users. Each dimension can be analyzed to understand roles, interfaces and activities. Cross-dimensional effects are of particular interest since such effects are less detectable and generally not addressed with conventional systems engineering (SE) methods. The literature review and the results of this study have identified key characteristics or dimensions that should be examined during SoS analysis and design. Although many methods exist for exploring system dimensions, there is a gap in techniques to explore cross-dimensional interactions and their effect on emergent SoS behaviors. The study has resulted in a methodology for capturing dimensional information and recommended analytical methods for intra-dimensional as well as cross-dimensional analysis. A problem-based approach to the system analysis is recommended combined with the application of matrix methods, network analysis and modeling techniques to provide intra- and cross-dimensional insight. The results of this research are applicable to a variety of socio-technical SoS analyses with applications in analysis, experimentation, test and evaluation and training.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005135, ucf:50696
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005135
- Title
- Examining multi-level and inter-organizational collaborative response to disasters: The case of Pakistan Floods in 2010.
- Creator
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Khosa, Sana, Kapucu, Naim, Wan, Thomas, Knox, Claire, Sadri, Houman, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Catastrophic disasters are different than routine disasters and managing them requires the mobilization of inter-organizational, inter-governmental, cross-sectoral and international humanitarian support. The role of the international community through International Non-governmental Organizations (INGOs), and multi-lateral organizations such as the United Nations (UN) becomes imperative when the scale of the disaster is unprecedented and difficult for a country to manage on its own. The...
Show moreCatastrophic disasters are different than routine disasters and managing them requires the mobilization of inter-organizational, inter-governmental, cross-sectoral and international humanitarian support. The role of the international community through International Non-governmental Organizations (INGOs), and multi-lateral organizations such as the United Nations (UN) becomes imperative when the scale of the disaster is unprecedented and difficult for a country to manage on its own. The initial response and relief phase of managing disasters is one in which many agencies with different expertise, capacities, working mandates, resources, skills, working cultures and norms come together to coordinate and collaborate to provide timely response and relief services. Thus, the terrain of managing catastrophic disasters is complex and requires a deeper study to understand and delineate the factors shaping and facilitating collaborative response and relief efforts.This study examines the multi-level and multi-layered collaborative response networks present at the national-international level, provincial and district/local level of disaster response and interactions. In this research the nature and effectiveness of collaboration is being studied through a relevant case study of a catastrophic natural disaster, the 2010 Pakistan Floods. The phase of immediate response is explored primarily through Network Theory perspectives including supportive theoretical perspectives such as Social Capital, Resource Dependency, and Institutional Collective Action Theory perspectives that help to explain collaborative interactions in disaster response networks. This study explores and describes factors that influence (either facilitate or hinder) collaboration is disaster response networks.The key research questions for this study are: What factors facilitate and impede collaborative response to catastrophic disasters at the local, provincial, national and international levels? What are the differences and similarities in response systems at different levels? Additional questions address how leadership support (attributed to government and political leaders and organizations), institutional support (in the form of plans, international appeals of response, and development of relief funds to manage aid), network capacity of different organizations (programmatic and relational), nature of resource dependencies between responding agencies, and structural configurations of response systems impact the collaborative response in disasters.A case study method has been applied in this research. The 2010 Pakistan Floods response network/system is identified through content analysis of various newspapers, situation reports and after-action reports using the Social Network Analysis (SNA) method via UCINET Software 6.1. The actual response network is analyzed and compared with existing national disaster response plans to examine the effectiveness of collaborative response through centrality measures, clique analysis and visual display. This approach is supplemented with semi-structured interviews of key institutional representatives that responded to the 2010 Floods. These organizations and institutions were primarily identified through the networks formulated via SNA.Findings and results from the analysis reflect that the response networks at each level of analysis differ both in structural aspects and also in functional aspects. The nature of the international-national response system is focused on mobilizing donor support and receiving and managing aid, both in-kind and cash. Also a major role at the international and national level is to mobilize the UN cluster approach and focus on broader aims of response such as providing shelter and food to affected areas. Some of the factors identified as facilitating collaborative response were leadership of both national and international leaders, and availability of donor support and funds.At the provincial level of analysis, the Chief Minister of Punjab is playing a central and influential role and is partnering closely with the Armed Forces and local district administration. Interviews conducted of provincial level officials help to support the hypotheses concerning leadership support's influence on collaborative response and also the role of institutional support in the form of creation of plans, and policies that help to mobilize quick funds and resources for relief. At the local level of response, networks are highly influenced by local conditions and local capacities of the district administration. Thus, there are diverse factors impacting each level of collaborative disaster response. All in all, leadership support, institutional support and network structural aspects are important variables that impact the effectiveness of collaborative response.Today policy makers are trying to figure out ways to collaborate successfully across sector boundaries for better and effective service delivery, both in the mundane operational tasks and in uncertain and complex situations such as disasters and catastrophic events. Thus, this research helps in expanding the literature on collaborative public management, collaborative emergency management, and network management. Also the frequency of natural disasters throughout the world demonstrate the need to study and examine factors that contribute to or hinder the effectiveness of inter-organizational response in disasters
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005361, ucf:50496
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005361
- Title
- Influence of Personal and State Level Variables on Perception of State Emergency Management Network Resilience In 47 States.
- Creator
-
Jennison, Victoria, Wan, Thomas, Zhang, Ning, Ramirez, Bernardo, Kapucu, Naim, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Emergency management coordination in the United States has fallen victim to over a century of strategies to organize, reorganize, consolidate, or decentralize disaster preparedness, planning and response. Regardless of the agency in charge at the federal level, individual citizens have been responsible for their own well-being immediately after any disaster or emergency event for more than 100 years because it takes time to mobilize and deliver aid. The system most often charged with managing...
Show moreEmergency management coordination in the United States has fallen victim to over a century of strategies to organize, reorganize, consolidate, or decentralize disaster preparedness, planning and response. Regardless of the agency in charge at the federal level, individual citizens have been responsible for their own well-being immediately after any disaster or emergency event for more than 100 years because it takes time to mobilize and deliver aid. The system most often charged with managing that mobilization during an emergency event that exceeds the response capacity of local public safety agencies is the state emergency management network. Many entities in a state emergency management network have different responsibilities during disaster states vs. non-disaster states. Regardless of their role and function, entities need to be able to exchange resources and information with each other, often under time, economic, or other constraints during disasters. This resource exchange generates trust, an essential element of a resilient network. Resilient networks suffer fewer negative impacts from disaster related loss and are more likely to retain collective capacity to respond and help communities recover.The purpose of this study is to explore the ability of individual and state level attributes to explain variability in perception of network resilience. One-hundred fifty one state emergency management agency employees were surveyed regarding their perception of 5 constructs of network resilience (rapidity, redundancy, relationships, resourcefulness, and robustness) and individual level attributes. State level indicators from FEMA, NEMA, American Human Development Index, and Social Vulnerability Index were also analyzed. Overall, it was found that the individual attribute of perception of network integrity had the most influence on perception of network resilience, followed by perception of community resilience and state level attributes including disaster experience, state well-being, and number of full time state emergency management agency employees. These findings can improve network resilience by informing state emergency management network development activity. Networks that increase member opportunities to develop relationships of resource and information exchange will increase their resilience. That increased network resilience impacts community resilience because, as Winston Churchill's wise words during World War II reconstruction advise, (")We shape our communities and then they shape us(").?
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005812, ucf:50040
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005812
- Title
- Predictors of an Effective Performance Measurement System: Evidence from Municipal Governments in Turkey.
- Creator
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Eliuz, Sedat, Kapucu, Naim, Hu, Qian, Martin, Lawrence, Wang, Xiaohu, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The aim of this study is to examine the predictors of effective performance measurement in the context of Turkish municipalities. In the study, mainly the theoretical guidance of context-design-performance model has been utilized to examine the contextual and design factors which have influenced the effective use of performance measurement systems in Turkish municipalities. The following research questions were examined in this study: To what extent do Turkish municipalities implement...
Show moreThe aim of this study is to examine the predictors of effective performance measurement in the context of Turkish municipalities. In the study, mainly the theoretical guidance of context-design-performance model has been utilized to examine the contextual and design factors which have influenced the effective use of performance measurement systems in Turkish municipalities. The following research questions were examined in this study: To what extent do Turkish municipalities implement performance measurement systems effectively?, What are the predictors of effective performance measurement in Turkish municipalities?, and whether or to what extent do quality of performance measures, technical capacity of the municipality for performance measurement, organizational support, and external support for the use of performance measurement have influence on the effectiveness level of performance measurement systems in Turkish municipalities? In the study, the data were collected from Turkish municipalities by a self-administered online survey and were analyzed by using the structural equation modeling (SEM). It is hypothesized in the study that external support and organizational support for the use performance measurement, and technical capacity for the performance measurement are associated with quality of performance measures and effectiveness of performance measurement systems in general. The results of the study supported the hypotheses of the study regarding the relationships among organizational support, technical capacity, quality of performance measures, and effectiveness of performance measurement. Although the results confirmed that external support has an indirect effect on effectiveness of performance measurement via technical capacity and quality of performance measures, the hypothesis regarding the direct effect of it on effectiveness of performance measurement was not supported. Moreover, the study found that support of employees and citizens for the use of performance measurement in Turkish municipalities are relatively low, the municipalities have deficiencies both in the quantity and the quality of staff that are responsible for performance measurement activities, and the level of employee involvement in the development of performance measures is low.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005487, ucf:50364
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005487