The need of organisational cultures to change

“Response agencies will have to accept and engage with the different logics and rationalities that people rely on in the face of risk”. The World Disasters Report 2014 points out that organisational culture needs to change “by not assuming that the people we are supporting are ‘irrational’ but instead accepting that they have different rationalities”.

Note: See source document for full reference.

Cultural Factors: Norms/values, Customs/traditions/rituals, Worldviews, Open-mindedness, Communication

Hazards: Natural hazards, Man-made non-intentional hazards or emergency situations, Man-made intentional hazards

Disaster Phases: Prevention, Preparedness, Response, Recovery, All disaster phases

Types of Actors Concerned: National civil protection body, Local authorities, Non-active citizens, Government, Red Cross, NGOs, Military, Law enforcement agencies, Healthcare and emergency services, European Civil Protection Mechanism, UN and other international organisations

Recommendations:

• Develop risk assessments methodologies, which consider cultural factors, the manner in which people cognitively process information and which employ a gender perspective