Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Bruce Lindsay

Abstract

Florida faces a unique set of emergency management hazards prompted by the state’s geography, high volume of tourism, and position as a hub of international trade. The state has developed a highly adaptive emergency management system to deliver humanitarian assistance to Floridians affected by natural and other disasters. Despite the importance of collaboration in delivering humanitarian goods and services to Floridians in times of crisis, little is known as to how collaboration occurs, what impediments exist, and how organizations adapt to the dynamics of natural and other disasters. In this qualitative case study, the integrative framework for collaborative governance was applied to understand how voluntary organizations collaborated during hurricane response and relief efforts. Data were collected from the survey responses of nine voluntary organization emergency managers and after-action reports of county, state, and federal agencies. Data from survey responses and archival sources were analyzed and thematically coded. The findings showed that voluntary organizational collaboration resulted from teamwork, communication, and working towards the same purpose within a structured organizational framework. The key recommendations are that emergency management organizations should consistently provide all-hazards training and exercises to enhance voluntary organizations’ response to disasters and to study how collaboration occurs in other states with different emergency management constructs. This study may contribute to positive social change by providing emergency managers with the means to improve humanitarian responses to disasters through a deeper understanding of the collaborative processes involved.

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