Human Resource Management Practices to Support Emotional Labor in Emergency Response

Sharon Mastracci

doi:10.1515/jhsem-2014-0060

Article

Human Resource Management Practices to Support Emotional Labor in Emergency Response

Sharon Mastracci

Published/Copyright: June 10, 2015

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From the journal Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Volume 12 Issue 4

Abstract

Based on a continuing program of research, this paper reveals several organizational measures needed if emotional labor is to be supported, including self-care plans, recruiting for self-awareness, and performance evaluations that capture more than a standard set of knowledge, skills, and abilities. The paper focuses on the experience of emergency responders, who work in extreme conditions that demand extensive emotional labor. Propositions are presented to link human resource management practices and individual and organizational outcomes; propositions that can inform future research and hypothesis testing in this area.

Keywords: emergency responders; personnel management

Corresponding author: Sharon Mastracci, Department of Political Science, University of Utah, 260 South Central Campus Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, e-mail: s.mastracci@bham.ac.uk

Appendix: Interview Protocol

When someone asks you to describe your job, what do you usually say?
In your line of work, do you feel a certain responsibility toward a particular group? If so, who or what?
Have you ever had an incident where your abilities or credibility was questioned? For instance, has anyone ever said to you:
1. Do you have any idea what I’m going through?
2. Aren’t you a little young/old to be doing this?
3. Do you have any idea what you’re doing?
4. You don’t look/sound like a (firefighter, nurse, police officer, etc.) ______ …
  1. What happened?
  2. What did you do?
Have you ever had an incident when you had to bend or break the rules (think entirely outside the box, something came out of left field, etc.)? – when you had to suddenly change course, readjust, or depart from standard operating procedure?
1. What happened?
2. What did you do?
Have you ever suffered your own crisis of confidence?
1. What happened?
2. What did you do?
Have you ever had a completely chaotic incident when it was up to you (there was no one else to turn to) to reestablish control? Alternatively, have you ever been called in to help someone else handle an incident?
1. What happened?
2. What did you do?
Is there a particular incident that sticks out in your mind when everything went wrong (hit the fan)?
1. What happened?
2. What did you do?
3. What was the fallout?
4. What role, if any, does this case play in the way you do your job now?
Is there a particular incident that sticks out in your mind when everything went right?
1. What happened?
2. What did you do?
3. What was the fallout?
4. What role, if any, does this case play in the way you do your job now?

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Published Online: 2015-6-10

Published in Print: 2015-12-1

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/jhsem-2014-0060

Keywords for this article

emergency responders; personnel management