Clashes of cultures during crises: coordinating firefighter, police and paramedic interactions

Purpose The purpose is to expand our understanding of different organizational group interactions in crises and extend the Competing Values Framework of organizational culture into three first responder groups – firefighters, police and emergency medical technicians. Because unique organizational culture is a critical element in the success or failure of any organization, when organizations combine during crisis, failure often results. The authors examined the cultures of first responders in a crisis to determine whether differences in cultural type might explain some failures. Design/methodology/approach Using the Competing Values Framework for organizational culture, the authors examined literature on the three first responder cultures. The literature is available on the failure of these organizations to work together in crisis, but little on the deep organizational reasons for these failures. Findings In view of the different challenges each profession faces and ways they organize to address those challenges, self-directed coordination of these three distinct groups may be optimal, rather than an overall system of command and control. This can be visualized when the authors examine the three cultures using the Competing Values Framework. The authors discuss specific reasons for problems in crisis coordination and give suggestions on coping with three or more different cultures. Research limitations/implications This is a literature review and conceptual paper. A meta-analysis of incidences would be helpful. Practical implications When disparate organizations work together, culture may interfere with cooperation and coordination. Taking organizational culture into account will enable operations with less friction. In this paper, the authors explain why. Social implications Lack of cooperation and coordination among firefighters, police and EMTs could create loss of life or property. Understanding potential cultural differences will help the disparate groups work together better. Originality/value The authors examine organizational culture differences in detail as a reason for the failures of coordination of first responders in crisis. In addition, the authors extend the Competing Values Framework to these essential groups of first responders. The authors are the first to propose a taxonomy of culture for these three groups, based on the Competing Values Framework.