The effect of crisis management stages on the performance of the Emergency, Crisis, and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) in the United Arab Emirates

This study investigates the essential role of effective crisis management within an organisation, emphasizing the inherent unpredictability of crises even with precautionary measures in place. It examines the pivotal role of the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Agency (NCEMA) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), focusing on its coordination initiatives, the implementation of a national early warning system, and its dedication to continuous improvement through institutional learning. NCEMA faces challenges in ensuring seamless coordination, cooperation, and integration among various authorities in the country during the different stages of crisis management—namely, crisis awareness, crisis readiness, crisis control, and crisis response. These challenges, in turn, affect organisational performance. The study aims to investigate the multifaceted roles of NCEMA in crisis management, including its involvement at various stages of crises. Furthermore, it seeks to assess NCEMA’s effectiveness in mitigating crises and safeguarding the public. Additionally, the research aims to evaluate the broader implications of crisis management on NCEMA’s organisational performance within the context of the UAE. The study adopted a quantitative approach, designing a questionnaire based on guidelines from previous research and modifying it to suit the study’s conditions. It targeted all 1,400 employees of NCEMA in the UAE, with 400 questionnaires distributed and 385 responses successfully collected. This study introduces a model with five variables: organisational performance (OP) as the dependent variable and four stages of crisis management (preparedness, awareness, control, and response) as the independent variables. The results indicate that the primary independent variable, crisis management (CM), has a significant impact on NCEMA’s organisational performance. The findings reveal that the dimensions of crisis management—crisis awareness, crisis preparedness, crisis control, and crisis response—accounted for 71% of the variation in organisational performance (OP) in the proposed model. The study recommends conducting similar research in other regions, such as other Emirates or neighbouring countries. It also suggests exploring alternative methodologies, such as qualitative approaches, which may uncover additional variables not captured in this research.