Preparing for natural hazards: the role of community trust

Douglas Paton

164 citations0/0 files storedDisaster Prevention and Management An International Journal

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Disaster Management and Resilience Public Relations and Crisis Communication Risk Perception and Management

Abstract

Purpose This paper seeks to examine how perception of the relationship between people and sources of information influence hazard preparedness and how trust in civic emergency planning agencies responsible for risk communication influences preparedness decisions. It aims to hypothesize that: familiarity with and information about hazards predicts the relative importance of trust; and that levels of trust are influenced by community characteristics. Design/methodology/approach A cross‐sectional analysis of the relationship between trust and hazard preparedness was conducted. Hypotheses were tested using data on bushfire, volcanic and earthquake hazards. Data were analysed using multiple regression analyses. Findings The first hypothesis, that situational factors predict the relative importance of trust, was supported. Partial support was forthcoming for the second hypothesis. Collective problem solving and empowerment predicted levels of trust. Research limitations/implications The findings demonstrated the utility of this multi‐level model for the analysis of risk communication and need to accommodate societal‐level variables in future risk communication research. The source of information plays a role in risk communication that is independent of the informationper se. Practical implications The relationship between people and civic agencies and the information provided must be accommodated in planning risk communication. The analysis provides an evidence‐based framework for the development of risk communication strategies based on community engagement principles. Originality/value This is the first time this multi‐level model has been applied to natural hazards and contributes to understanding the contingent nature of the risk communication process.

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References

1995An Integrative Model Of Organizational Trust 1989Assessing coping strategies: A theoretically based approach.2000Perception of Hazards: The Role of Social Trust and Knowledge 1982Measurement of specific interpersonal trust: Construction and validation of a scale to assess trust in a specific other.1996Shared reality: How social verification makes the subjective objective.1970Conceptual and methodological considerations in the study of trust and suspicion 2000Correlates of Household Seismic Hazard Adjustment Adoption 1998A Quantitative Test of the Cultural Theory of Risk Perceptions: Comparison with the Psychometric Paradigm

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