Search Results (71)

This study examines how parental leadership, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and entrepreneurial resilience—viewed through social capital theory—shape intentions around family business succession in Saudi Arabia. It also investigates the moderating role of the presence of older siblings, exploring how family dynamics affect the transfer of social capital and the likelihood of succession. This research employs structural equation modeling to analyze data from 522 respondents in Saudi Arabia. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy emerges as a key factor in shaping intentions around family business succession, highlighting the importance of psychological resources in this process. The moderating analysis shows that the presence of older siblings weakens the impact of parental guidance and entrepreneurial traits on intentions around family business succession, possibly due to competition among siblings for leadership roles in the family firm. These findings underscore the need for family businesses to strategically manage the distribution of social capital, especially in households with multiple siblings. Initiatives that enhance entrepreneurial self-efficacy and resilience can improve preparedness for succession. Moreover, addressing sibling rivalry through structured succession planning and conflict resolution mechanisms is essential for maintaining business continuity in the Saudi context. Based on social capital theory, this research offers a new perspective on how a family’s resources, networks, and relationships influence intentions around family business succession. Emphasizing the moderating role of sibling dynamics provides useful insights into managing family business transitions in Saudi Arabia, where family ties and social capital are vital. Full article

This study aims to investigate the multifaceted effects of e-commerce-led digital chain engagement on the income of Chinese crop farmers, distinguishing between participation status and participation depth. The analysis uses data from the China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS) conducted in 2020, with 1815 crop-farming households as the sample. To estimate causal effects, treatment effect models and instrumental variable strategies are employed. Results show that e-commerce-led digital chain participation significantly enhances household income, and deeper digital chain engagement amplifies this effect. Mechanism analyses reveal that deep engagement promotes income through multiple channels, including improved digital preparedness, enhanced product sales performance, and increased participation in digital financial services. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the income gains mainly stem from agricultural revenue, and are more pronounced among cooperative members, though marginal benefits from deeper engagement appear limited. Quantile regressions uncover a pronounced Matthew effect: higher-income households benefit more from digital chain embedding, thereby widening the income gap. Moreover, e-commerce-led digital chain participation also improves farmers’ income satisfaction and their expectations of income sustainability. These findings suggest that policymakers should not only promote basic e-commerce participation but also implement targeted support for deep digital chain embedding to foster inclusive growth while mitigating the Matthew effect. By shifting the focus from binary participation to embedded intensity, this study provides new insights into how e-commerce-led digital transformation shapes rural income structures, offering theoretical and empirical contributions to the literature on agricultural modernization and digital inclusion. Full article

This paper explores the potential of Electric Vehicle (EV) Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) technology to enhance household resilience during extreme weather events, integrating socio-economic, technical, and human rights perspectives. V2H technology enables EVs to provide backup power during outages, offering a promising solution for disaster preparedness and response. However, widespread adoption of this technology faces barriers shaped by socio-economic disparities, including income, housing, education, and access to infrastructure, as well as human decisions related to EV ownership, V2H utilization, and evacuation behaviors. To investigate these challenges, this study adopts a qualitative review of existing literature and policy frameworks, critically analyzing how social vulnerabilities and adoption barriers influence the effectiveness of V2H in improving household-level disaster resilience. The findings indicate that while V2H technology can significantly support disaster resilience, its benefits are contingent on equitable access, affordability, and public awareness. To maximize its potential, various public and private stakeholders must adopt equity-driven strategies that align technological innovation with socio-economic inclusion. This paper highlights the need for cross-sector collaboration to ensure V2H systems reach underserved and marginalized communities, advocating for policies that prioritize both technological advancement and distributive justice. Full article

Understanding Farmer households’ subjective flood risk cognition is important for effectively mitigating the impacts of flood, and adequate disaster preparedness reduces the impact of floods on the sustainability of farmers’ livelihoods. The existing literature focuses on objective flood risk assessment and subjective–objective risk consistency and less systematically explores the correlation between Farmer households’ subjective flood risk cognition and disaster preparedness. Therefore, this study aims to explores the correlation between Farmer households’ subjective flood risk cognition and disaster preparedness. This study employed a random sampling method to conduct a survey among 540 households in Gaoxian County, Jiajiang County, and Yuechi County, which are flood-prone areas in Southwest China. Based on the survey results, this research framework can be used to evaluate systems of subjective flood risk cognition and farmers’ disaster preparedness. We chose the Tobit Regression Model to empirically explore the correlation between subjective flood risk cognition and farmers’ disaster preparedness. The results showed that among the 540 surveyed farmers, their overall subjective flood risk cognition was at a medium-high level (3.58), with self-efficacy more than response efficacy, more than threat, and more than probability. Further, the overall disaster preparedness of farmers was at a medium level (0.5), with physical disaster preparedness more than emergency disaster preparedness and more than knowledge and skills preparedness. The regression analysis showed that the probability of flooding and the threat in Farmer households’ subjective flood risk cognition were positively related to disaster preparedness, whereas self-efficacy, response efficacy, and overall risk cognition in Farmer households’ subjective flood risk cognition were negatively related to disaster preparedness. This study is representative of or may serve as a reference for building governance systems and disaster prevention in other flood risk areas in Southwest China. Full article

The frequency and intensity of floods increase with global climate change. Strengthening the resilience of farmers to disasters, in particular to mitigate flood risks, has become an important policy issue. Increasing the livelihood resilience of farmers to enhance their disaster preparedness has become the main form of coping with flood risk. However, few studies have explored the correlation between farmers’ livelihood resilience and disaster preparedness. Using data from a survey of 540 rural households conducted in July 2021 across nine towns in three counties in Sichuan Province, we construct an indicator system for evaluating the farmers’ livelihood resilience in flood risk areas. The relationship between farmers’ livelihood resilience and their disaster preparedness is studied using the tobit model. The results show that farmers’ livelihood resilience is composed of multiple dimensions, with self-organization capacity scoring the highest (0.541), followed by learning ability (0.303), and buffer capacity scoring the lowest (0.223). Additionally, the level of trust in society and the possibility of suffering from floods in the research area have a noticeable positive effect on farmers’ decision-making related to disaster preparedness. The more farmers trust in society and the greater the likelihood of exposure to flood risk is, the more they tend to be prepared for risk avoidance. Furthermore, farmers’ livelihood resilience is positively associated with their overall disaster preparedness. Specifically, both buffer capacity and learning ability influence emergency disaster preparedness and knowledge and skill preparation; self-organization capacity affects only knowledge and skill preparation. These results suggest procedures to enhance farmers’ livelihood resilience and further strengthen preparedness for disasters such as floods. Full article

Urban flooding has significantly impacted the livelihoods of households and communities worldwide. It highlights the urgency of focusing on both flood preparedness and adaptation strategies to understand the community’s perception and adaptive capacity. This study investigates the levels of risk perception, flood preparedness, and adaptive capacity, while also exploring the inter-relationships among these factors within the context of urban flooding in Malaysia. A quantitative approach was employed, involving a structured questionnaire administered to residents in flood-prone urban areas across Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A total of 212 responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, categorical index classification, and Spearman correlation analysis. The findings indicate that residents generally reported high levels of risk perception and preparedness, although adaptive capacity exhibited greater variability, with a mean score of 3.97 (SD = 0.64). Positive associations were found among risk perception, flood preparedness, and adaptive capacity. This study contributes to the existing knowledge by providing evidence on community resilience and highlighting key factors that can guide flood management policies and encourage adaptive planning at the community level. Full article

In the context of emergency management, individual or household decisions to engage in risk mitigation behaviors are widely recognized to be influenced by a benefit–cost perception (perceived applied value (PAV) vs. perceived economic value (PEV), respectively). To better understand how such decisions are made, we conducted a mail survey (N = 211) of households living in the Red River of the North Basin, North Dakota, in 2018. The survey is aimed at understanding the overall experience of households with flooding and their behavior toward advanced protective strategies against future floods by analyzing household PEV—their willingness to pay for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Satellite Enhanced Snowmelt Flood Prediction system. This paper presents a mediation model in which various predictors (flood risk, experience, flood knowledge, flood risk perception, flood preparedness, flood mitigation, and flood insurance) are analyzed in relation to the PAV of the new Satellite Enhanced Snowmelt Flood Predictions in the Red River of the North Basin, which, in turn, may shape the PEV of this product. We discuss the potential implications for both the emergency management research community and professionals regarding the application of advanced risk mitigation technologies to help protect and sustain communities across the country from floods and other natural disasters. This paper provides a greater understanding of the economic and social aspects of sustainability in the context of emergency management and community development. Full article

Natural and man-made disasters are occurring more frequently, making household emergency preparedness essential for an effective response. Enrollees of the World Trade Center Health Registry have been found to be less prepared than the US national average despite their prior disaster exposure. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of two interventions—a mailed brochure and a structured phone call—for increasing emergency preparedness knowledge among this population. We conducted a two-arm parallel group trial between February 2019 and August 2020. Participants were Registry enrollees who completed the Wave 4 Registry (2015–2016) survey, whose primary language was English or Spanish, who lived in New York City, and who did not report being a rescue and recovery worker affiliated with FDNY or NYPD. Enrollees were randomized to receive either a brochure by mail summarizing the components of emergency preparedness or a 15 min phone call describing the same. The primary outcome measure was the number of “yes” responses to the ten-item CDC CASPER emergency preparedness questionnaire, measured at baseline and post-intervention. Enrollees were sequentially alternatively assigned to either the brochure or phone call groups. In total, 705 enrollees were assigned to the brochure (n = 353) or phone call (n = 352) groups, and a total of 702 enrollees were analyzed. The Incident Rate Ratio (IRR) for the effect of time was 1.17 (95% CI = (1.14, 1.20)) and for intervention was 1.00 (95% CI = (0.95, 1.05)) Both the brochure and phone call interventions improved knowledge of emergency preparedness from baseline to post-intervention assessment, and to the same extent. Full article

Water insecurity, intensified by climate change, presents a significant challenge globally, especially in arid and semi-arid regions of Africa. In northern Ghana, where agriculture heavily depends on seasonal rainfall, prolonged dry seasons exacerbate water and food insecurity. Despite efforts to improve water access, there is limited understanding of how climate change preparedness affects water insecurity risk in rural contexts. This study investigates the relationship between climate preparedness and water insecurity in semi-arid northwestern Ghana. Grounded in the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, data was collected through a cross-sectional survey of 517 smallholder households. Nested ordered logistic regression was used to analyze how preparedness measures and related socio-environmental factors influence severe water insecurity. The findings reveal that higher levels of climate change preparedness significantly reduce water insecurity risk at individual [odds ratio (OR) = 0.35, p < 0.001], household (OR = 0.037, p < 0.001), and community (OR = 0.103, p < 0.01) levels. In contrast, longer round-trip water-fetching times (OR = 1.036, p < 0.001), water-fetching injuries (OR = 1.054, p < 0.01), reliance on water borrowing (OR = 1.310, p < 0.01), untreated water use (OR = 2.919, p < 0.001), and exposure to climatic stressors like droughts (OR = 1.086, p < 0.001) and floods (OR = 1.196, p < 0.01) significantly increase insecurity. Community interventions, such as early warning systems (OR = 0.218, p < 0.001) and access to climate knowledge (OR = 0.228, p < 0.001), and long-term residency further reduce water insecurity risk. These results underscore the importance of integrating climate preparedness into rural water management strategies to enhance resilience in climate-vulnerable regions. Full article

Why should we prepare for a flood which might never happen? Uncertainty around potential future hazards significantly limits citizens’ disaster preparedness, as it influences decision-making and action-taking greatly. To bridge this knowledge–action gap, we developed a novel, no-regrets framework for sustainable flood preparedness under uncertainty, building on a systematic literature review (PRISMA method) and an integrative review of preparedness actions. The review of 364 articles revealed that while no-regrets principles are widely applied in climate policy and risk management, they are not tailored to personal preparedness. Our resulting framework defines clear no-regrets criteria for individual and household-level preparedness (robustness, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, co-benefits, and ease of implementation) and categorizes 80+ flood preparedness actions according to four levels of uncertainty, from unknown futures to imminent hazards. Notably, we found that long-term preparedness actions remain underutilized, psychological preparedness is largely absent, and existing guidance is biased toward physical risk reduction in high-income contexts. This framework offers a practical tool for practitioners, local authorities, and community groups to promote actionable, context-sensitive flood preparedness worldwide and can be adapted to other hazards in future work. Full article

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly affected public health and socio-economic structures globally. This research conducted a post-COVID-19 analysis of the role of fiscal support interventions on COVID-19 health regulations such as mandatory non-pharmaceutical interventions like face masks, social distancing, periodic lockdowns which include restrictions on movement, and socio-economic dimensions. This quantitative research obtained 302 responses from different households in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal, and Limpopo Provinces in South Africa. The results reveal that the relief fund (R350 unemployment grant, unemployment insurance fund claim, and food parcel distribution, among others) mediated the relationship between COVID-19 health regulations and poverty levels and the relationship between COVID-19 health regulations and health and well-being. The relief fund also mediated the relationship between COVID-19 health regulations and employment levels. Support packages from the R500 billion government support, which included loan guarantees, job support, tax and payment deferrals and holidays, social grants, wage guarantees, health interventions, and municipalities support, moderate the relationship between COVID-19 health regulations and the family and social support. These results validate the impact of the fiscal support intervention by the government in mitigating its emergency intervention with COVID-19 health regulations. This strengthens the theory of intervention, highlighting that multiple dynamics make interventions complex as shown by mediation and moderation results. Furthermore, this study highlights intervention being central to the management of the crisis. The study highlights the importance of comprehensive intervention for future preparedness, thus advancing the crisis–intervention perspective. Advances in these areas are critical to mitigate the impact of the next pandemic or similar major events in society. This can be achieved through improved pandemic timely response with effective economic stimulus, social relief, strong legal framework, and anti-corruption policies. Full article

Objective: To explore the possible association and trends between individual-level disaster preparedness status (for natural, technological, and human-caused hazards) and the level of pandemic preparedness during the COVID-19 pandemic among adults in the U.S. from 2021 through 2023. Methods: Multivariate logistic regression was conducted using data from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) annual National Household Survey (NHS) from 2021 to 2023 to identify statistically significant variables associated with personal pandemic preparedness behavior among participants of the nationally representative survey during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Overall, the results showed that the proportion of respondents that were considered prepared for a pandemic peaked in 2021 (54.0%) and steadily decreased in the following years (2022: 43.3%; 2023: 41.3%) highlighting the need for pandemic preparedness resources and educational campaigns to be available prior to a pandemic occurring. The final multivariate logistic regression models featuring consistent significant covariates demonstrated a highly statistically significant relationship between individual-level disaster preparedness and pandemic preparedness across all three study years (2021: odds ratio (OR): 21.35, standard error (SE): 2.59, p < 0.001; 2022: OR: 9.26, SE: 0.87, p < 0.001; 2023: OR: 6.75, SE: 0.59, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The significant results suggest individuals who are prepared for a disaster have higher odds of being prepared for a pandemic. These findings support the continued increase in collaboration between emergency management and public health entities to jointly support the development of evidence-based resources to increase personal preparedness for both disasters and pandemics. Full article

The present study examines perceptions and preparedness for flooding in Greece, a country increasingly impacted by natural hazards, particularly due to the effects of climate change. Despite the frequent occurrence of floods, public preparedness remains insufficient in many areas. Through a survey of 1282 respondents from various regions of Greece and using R statistical software to process and analyse data, the research explores the relationship between individual flood risk perceptions, prior experiences, and household-level preparedness. The findings show most participants are aware of governmental flood plans, but a significant gap exists between perceived flood risks and actual preparedness, especially regarding insurance and relocation willingness. The findings reveal that a majority of participants are aware of governmental flood management plans; however, outcomes concerning flood insurance and the willingness to relocate highlight the significant gap between perceived flood risks and actual preparedness efforts. Many respondents expressed dissatisfaction with current measures to address flood risks, leading to a diminished trust in the respective authorities. To enhance public awareness and engagement in flood preparedness, the study underscores the importance of localized risk communication strategies tailored to different demographic groups. Given the observed gap between awareness and actual preparedness, efforts should focus on bridging this disconnect through practical, community-driven initiatives. Recommendations include implementing targeted awareness campaigns, promoting trust in government efforts through transparent policies, and providing financial incentives such as subsidized flood insurance to encourage protective actions, and, additionally, fostering community involvement in disaster risk management, particularly in historically flood-prone regions, to strengthen the resilience against future flooding events. Full article

Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic impact on the Southeastern United States highlighted the critical importance of disaster preparedness. This study analyzes data from FEMA’s 2023 National Household Survey to examine pre-Helene disaster risk perception and preparedness levels among residents of six Southeastern states: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Our aim was to assess baseline preparedness and gain insights that could inform future disaster planning. The analysis revealed significant inter-state variations in risk perceptions, with Florida residents showing the highest awareness (84% believing a disaster was likely or very likely) and Virginia residents the lowest (63%). Perceived primary threats varied geographically, with hurricanes dominating concerns in coastal states (78% in Florida) and tornadoes in inland areas (68% in Georgia). Despite these differences, concerns about losing access to essential services during disasters were consistent across all states, with over 60% of residents extremely concerned about energy and food/shelter disruptions. While self-reported confidence in disaster preparedness was high across all states, there was a notable discrepancy between this confidence and residents’ estimated ability to manage without power or water. For instance, only 47% of Florida residents believed they could manage without power for more than one week despite their high-risk perception. Home or renters’ insurance coverage ranged from 65% in Florida to 77% in South Carolina. Hazard-specific insurance varied widely, with hurricane insurance coverage at 53% in Florida compared to about 12% in Tennessee. Our findings provide timely insights into the state of disaster preparedness in the wake of Helene, emphasizing more need for tailored, region-specific approaches to disaster preparedness and risk communication. The discrepancies between perceived and actual preparedness highlighted by this study can inform more effective strategies for enhancing community resilience in the face of increasing extreme weather events driven by climate change. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic and the Movement Control Order (MCO) have had a negative impact on the financial well-being of low-income families in urban areas. This study involved respondents living in the public housing project (PPR) residential areas in Kuala Lumpur—the capital of Malaysia. The key finding is that the financial well-being of low-income urban families was negatively impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the MCO implementation. Furthermore, the impact on the financial well-being of low-income urban families is significantly different in terms of types of families, type and sector of employment, type of home ownership, household monthly income, and education level. Reforms to the financial assistance system and the community empowerment of low-income urban families are necessary to increase the community’s preparedness and resilience in the face of new shocks in the future. Full article