Citation

Qin C, Wong-Parodi G, Fan B. Int. J. Disaster Risk Reduct. 2020; 43: e101383.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ijdrr.2019.101383

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to understand how differences are in preferences for recovery options of residential fire disasters among four different groups, which helps us understand the role of empathy in public administration. Policy decision on allocating resources were assessed in each group through an experimental design. The results show that compared to those whose emotion was not aroused, those whose emotion was aroused were significantly less satisfied with the recovery scenarios. Besides, economic compensation, material recovery, and psychological assistance were significant predictors of participants' satisfaction level. However, the relative importance of these recovery options varied largely within- and between-groups. This paper concludes that high emotional arousal negatively influenced individuals' satisfaction with recovery options while assuming decision roles did not have a main effect. Overall, empathetic officials' preferences for recovery options were similar to the victims while the indifferent officials' preferences were similar to the ordinary public. When people were in the same emotional state, those making decisions for others showed greater preference in psychological assistance. In practice, more emphasis should be put on the empathic emotion of officials in emergency management. Disaster recovery may go more smoothly, be more equitable, and more efficient when public officials are able to walk in the shoes of the victims and adjust policy decisions that better reflect the needs of the victims.

Language: en

Keywords

Decision role; Disaster recovery; Empathic ability; Stressed emotion