| Crisis is a sudden and unexpected event that disrupts livelihoods as well as organizational operations. It can take up to three years for individuals to recover from natural disasters, and five years for businesses - with capital infusion. Crisis response implies a problem-driven, mission-critical environment. Well known are the Red Cross, Salvation Army, World Health Organization (WHO), and United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for crisis response. Few studies in the research literature have examined self-efficacy in crisis response, particularly through the perceptions of first responders. By interpreting self-efficacy of emergency responders through the lens of competing values, the findings of this research address the specific challenge of human agency as experienced by the Red Cross North Texas Region. The findings of this qualitative case study offer insight into self-efficacies of emergency responders when delivering mass-care during a series of catastrophic tornadoes in the Dallas and Ft. Worth, Texas areas on April 3, 2012. The study offers insight into efficient and effective emergency response within competing demands. A purposive sample of first-person responders provided data through open-ended questioning via semi-structured interviews. Relevant documents and archive records, separately collected and assessed, supported descriptive validity. Central to interview questioning is interpreting self-efficacy through the theoretical framework of competing values that relate to the Red Cross vision, mission, and fundamental principles in mass care delivery in crisis response. Findings of self-efficacy in human agency generalize to other worldwide organizations with similar requirements. |
