Impact of Team Member Resources and Team Structure on Emergency Response Performance: An Empirical Evidence from Pakistan

Abstract

The role of emergency response is vital for any nation due to their sensitive nature of work. These teams are supposed to help the needy persons who trapped in any accidental or medical emergency. This study has been devised to investigate various factors affecting performance of emergency response rescue teams. Amongs the pyramids of a few 8 elements were selected including team structure (leadership, role clarity, norms, age) and team member resources (personality, training), critical incident stressors, and chronic stressors. The Impact of critical incident stressors and chronic stressors were also investigated as moderator between the link of independent variables and dependent variable. For empirical evidence data was collected from Rescue 1122, an emergency response organization working in 36 districts of Punjab province, in Pakistan. Three cities Fasialabad, Sargodha and Khushab were selected by employing Stratified Sampling Techniques based on common characteristics. Self administered questionnaire was used to collect the data from rescue workers. Various data analytical tools including descriptive and inferential statistics were employed. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) carries out as data analytical tool for data reduction. Afterword, regression analysis using Preacher & Hayes regression method of moderation was employed. Moreover, one way ANOVA test and Post hoc test were also conducted to judge the city wise comparisons of performances. The results of these analyses proved that there was significant and positive relationship between emergency response performance and leadership, role clarity, norms, age, personality. Critical incident stressors and chronic stressors had significant but negative relationship, as independent variable, with emergency performance. But no relationship was found when these 2 factors were investigated as moderators. Moreover, no relationship was found between training and emergency performance. Therefore, it is concluded that Performance of the rescue workers can improve with the improvements in factors of team member resources & team structures, and by reducing the critical and chronic stresses.