The effect of e-collaborative technologies on crisis management in public organizations of UAE : public relations as a mediator

Crisis management is very crucial for an efficient and effective response in dealing with crises that affect individuals, groups, communities and nations. Therefore, more countries in the Middle East and globally have been focusing on the importance of ecollaborative technology for crisis management. This research studied public organizations in United Arab Emirates (UAE) to see how e-collaborative technologies affected crisis management and how public relations mediated that effect. The study was quantitative in character and relied on survey data gathered from 375 randomly selected employees of the Electricity Authority of Abu Dhabi, UAE. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The theories of systemic crisis communication and situational crisis communication were also consulted. The study showed that social media and mobile technology significantly improved crisis management. Additionally, the findings supported the claim that public relations acts as a mediator between mobile technology and crisis management. The overarching goal of this research, which was to analyze how e-collaborative technology affected crisis management in UAE’s public organizations, has been met. Finally, the study's results have added a fresh perspective to the current literature by proving the role of public relations as a mediator between e-collaborative technology and crisis management. Organizational leaders in UAE's public sector can use the study's results to improve their crisis preparation and response efforts