Browsing by Author "D'Souza, Melvin J. J."

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    Contextual Effects on Responsibility Judgments
    (Disaster Research Center, 1994) Hans, Valerie P.; Nigg, Joanne M.; D'Souza, Melvin J. J.
    Our research program has examined factors that lead people to hold others responsible for disasters and their consequences. In scenario experiments, respondents read descriptions of communities that experienced technological or natural disasters, and made judgments about the responsibility of various actors for disaster planning and mitigation as well as for compensation for disaster-related damages. Respondents’ judgments reflected strong desires for holding human actors responsible for disaster consequences. Attributed responsibility was substantial, even for natural disasters. Government officials, especially local officials, were perceived to be highly responsible for disaster mitigation and compensation for disaster losses. The perceived responsibilities of design professionals, scientists, businesses, and community residents varied with the type of disaster and the type of activity under consideration. The results indicate the usefulness of scenario methodology for understanding public judgments of responsibility for disaster consequences.
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    Determinants Of Business Disaster Preparedness In Two U.S. Metropolitan Areas
    (Disaster Research Center, 1995) Dahlhamer, James M.; D'Souza, Melvin J. J.
    Although there has been a proliferation of "how to" planning guides in recent years, there has been very little documentation of the variation in and determinants of business disaster preparedness. The few studies that have been conducted have focused on specific firms or industrial sectors, such as the chemical or tourist industry, or have been plagued by too few cases. These problems clearly limit the generalizability of the research findings. This paper attempts to fill a void in the literature by exploring the determinants and variation of planning within the private sector utilizing two stratified random samples of businesses from Memphis/Shelby County, Tennessee (N=737), and Des Moines/Polk County, Iowa (N=1079). Findings show that business size, whether the business property is owned or leased, and prior disaster experience are all related to business disaster preparedness in both study areas. Type of business was related to preparedness among businesses in Mernphis/Shelby County. Policy implications of the findings are discussed.