Conceptualizing and Explaining Flexibility in Administrative Crisis Management: A Cross-district Analysis in Germany

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Lenz, Alexa; Eckhard, Steffen
• 署名单位: University of Konstanz; University of Munich; Zeppelin University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH AND THEORY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1053-1858
• DOI: 10.1093/jopart/muac038
• 发表日期: 2023
• 页码: 485-497
• 关键词: ORGANIZATIONAL-CHANGE; PUBLIC MANAGEMENT; decision-making; THREAT-RIGIDITY; performance; capacity; ACCOUNTABILITY; implementation; COORDINATION; institutions

摘要

Flexibility in administrative crisis management is a frequently reported determinant for a successful crisis response. But there is little agreement about how to conceptualize, measure, and explain flexibility. We use a three-dimensional measure of administrative flexibility, capturing employees' decision leeway, staff mobility, and organizational innovation in a crisis response. We then develop and test an explanation of variation in flexibility, focusing on the refugee crisis of 2015/16 in Germany and analyzing survey and socioeconomic data from 235 districts using linear regression analysis. The main finding is that differences in flexibility cannot be explained by the scope of the crisis in a district, but by organizational factors: Agencies with politically unconstrained leadership, with higher financial resources and more crisis-related experience, respond more flexible. These findings contribute to theorizing and explaining administrative flexibility in and beyond crisis management and have practical implications for crisis learning and preparation.