This is not a drill: A study on navigating communication barriers in fire volunteer organizations

• Main Authors: Warner, Renae P., Co, Kynna Marie L., de Asis, Jan Kyle Gabrielle
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2023
• Subjects: Volunteer fire fighters > Philippines; Hazardous occupations; Organizational Communication
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdb_comm/52; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdb_comm/article/1109/viewcontent/2023_C0_DeAsis_Warner_This_Is_Not_A_Drill__A_Study_On_Navigating_Communication_Barriers_Full_text.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

High reliability organizations (HROs) respond to high-risk situations. The role of communication in these organizations is crucial, as it helps ensure that members can properly respond to different situations. However, the hierarchical structures that are common in these organizations may cause communication behaviors that can impede the functioning of HROs. Building upon Jahn and Black's (2017) hypothesized model of high reliability organizing, this study aims to investigate how communication assists members in navigating hierarchical structures within HROs. A survey was conducted with members of fire volunteer organizations (FVOs) in various districts across the City of Manila. The results of this study validate the claims of Jahn and Black’s (2017) hypothesized model and provide additional insights on the importance of facilitating a cross-level understanding, the inadequacy of HRO team communication as a predictor of learning communication, and how length of firefighting experience affects learning communication in FVOs. This research contributes to the limited studies on HROs, particularly in the context of fire volunteer organizations in the Philippines.