Title: Structure versus freedom of action: leadership during the rescue operation following the 2004 tsunami

Authors: Aida Alvinius, Erna Danielsson, Gerry Larsson

Addresses: Department of Leadership and Management, Swedish National Defence College, 651 80 Karlstad, Sweden. ' Department of Leadership and Management, Swedish National Defence College, 651 80 Karlstad, Sweden; Department of Social Sciences, Mid Sweden University, 831 25 Ostersund, Sweden. ' Department of Leadership and Management, Swedish National Defence College, 651 80 Karlstad, Sweden; Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical understanding of leadership during a complex rescue operation following a major disaster in a foreign country. The analysis followed a grounded theory approach. Seventeen informants from three Swedish authorities were interviewed on leadership in the emergency handling of the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia. A theoretical conceptualisation was developed which includes three superior categories: antecedent conditions, situational constraints and core aspects of leadership. Within the last-mentioned superior category a core variable was identified: a balance between the need for structure and the need for freedom. Leaders who strive to create structure at the expense of freedom of action are less inclined to delegate and more likely to wear themselves out. Conversely, those who strive to create great freedom of action bypass many links in the organisational chain, thus |short-circuiting| the organisation as a whole.

Keywords: leadership; collaboration; 2004 tsunami; structure; freedom of action; decision making; stress; disaster response; emergency management; rescue operations; grounded theory; emergency response; disaster management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEM.2010.037014

International Journal of Emergency Management, 2010 Vol.7 No.3/4, pp.304 - 322

Received: 11 Nov 2009
Accepted: 22 Jul 2010
Published online: 21 Nov 2010 *

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