Earthquake Recovery

Abstract

This study examines the gap in perceptions of small business owners and government officials about the availability, usability, and effectiveness of public support and assistance after an earthquake. Specifically, the study explores perceptions about small business recovery held by officials in two federal agencies, the Small Business Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Administration, following the Northridge earthquake. The article concludes with an assessment of the federal response as well as suggestions for improved governmental operations as viewed by personnel in each of the two agencies. Results will hopefully shed some light on the public organizations' role in recovery and ways in which this effort can be improved. This study is part of a larger National Science Foundation study on the effects of the Northridge earthquake on small business survival.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alesch, D. J. , Taylor, C. E. , Ghanty, A. S. , & Nagy, R. A. (1993). The earthquake hazard and small business. Proceedings: 1993 National Earthquake Conference, 1, 603-612.

Bardach, E. , & Kagan, R. A. (1982). Going by the book: The problem of regulatory unreasonableness. Philadelphia: Temple University Press

Clary, B. B. (1985). The evolution and structure of natural disaster policies [Special issue]. Public Administration Review, 45, 20-28

Drabek, T. E. (1985). Managingthe emergency response [Special issue]. Public Administration Review, 45, 85-92.

Elmore, R. (1979). Backward mapping: Implementation research and policy decisions. Political Science Quarterly, 84, 601-616.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) . (1994a). Recovery: DAC assistance. Available: http://www.fema.gov/fema/dassist.html

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) . (1994b). Recovery: Disaster recovery center. Available: http://www.femagov/fema/dac.html

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) . (1995). The Northridge earthquake: One year later. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office..

General Accounting Office (GAO) . (1994). Los Angeles earthquake: Opinions of officials on federal impediments to rebuilding (GAO Publication No. RCED-94-193). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.

10.

Lipsky, M. (1980). Street-level bureaucracy. New York: Russell Sage.

11.

Maanian, D. A. , & Sabatier, P. A. (1983). Implementation and public policy. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman.

12.

McLoughlin, D. (1985). A framework for integrated emergency management [Special issue]. Public Administration Review, 45, 165-172.

13.

Mushkatel, A. H. , & Weschler, L. F. (1985). Emergency management and the inter governmental system [Special issue]. Public Administration Review, 45, 49-56.

14.

Petak, W. J. (1985). Emergency management: A challenge for public administration [Special issue]. Public Administration Review, 45, 3-7.

15.

Ripley, R. B. , & Franklin, G. A. (1982). Bureaucracy and policy implementation. Homewood, IL: Dorsey.

16.

Rubin, C. B. , & Barbee, D. G. (1985). Disaster recovery and hazard mitigation: Bridging the intergovernmental gap [Special issue]. Public Administration Review, 45, 57-63.

17.

Schneider, S. K. (1992). Governmental response to disasters: The conflict between bureaucratic procedures and emergent norms. Public Administration Review, 52(2), 135-145.

18.

Schneider, S. K. (1995). Flirting with disaster: Public management in crisis situations. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe.

19.

Small Business Administration (SBA) . (1990). The state of small business: A report to the President. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.

20.

Small Business Administration (SBA) . (1993). Economic injury disaster loans for small business. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.

21.

Small Business Administration (SBA) . (1996, March). Disaster activity report. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.

22.

Sylves, R. T. (1994). Ferment at FEMA: Reforming emergency management. Public Administration Review, 54, 303-307.