Innovation and adaption in local governments in the face of COVID‐19: Determinants of effective crisis management

Abstract

Local governments were instrumental in managing the COVID‐19 crisis in countries worldwide. This study examines the methods that local governments in Israel used to successfully manage the COVID‐19 crisis. We explored the structural characteristics of the localities that excelled at managing the pandemic. Furthermore, we used measures of the spread of the virus and vaccination rates to identify a group of localities that managed the crisis with relative success. We conducted interviews with officials from these localities to determine the methods, policies, and conditions that led to success. We found that ethnicity, distance from urban centers, and socioeconomic status were associated with effective COVID‐19 management. We also identified several intraorganizational and interorganizational policies and practices that were successful: crisis‐adjusted management, a unified organizational atmosphere, digitalization, information management, autonomous decision making, and the fostering of collaborative relationships. Implications of the findings for the All Hazards Approach to disaster management are discussed.