Facing a crisis, can you make the right call with limited information? This paper delves into the complexities of **decision making** within the context of **emergencies**, highlighting the crucial role of effective management strategies. It addresses the problems specific to emergency scenarios, where managers often operate with inadequate data and under immense time pressure. The research examines the usefulness of the Vroom and Yetton decision process model, adapting it for the fast-paced environment of emergency management. A simplified problem classification is proposed, based on three key problem characteristics, designed to streamline the decision-making process. Ultimately, the study analyzes a collection of real-world "emergency" decisions, identifying common factors to develop actionable rules. These rules, used in conjunction with the simplified decision process model—dubbed the "emergency manager's decision cube"—aim to provide a practical framework for swift and informed action. The findings offer invaluable insights for those navigating high-stakes situations where every second counts, enhancing their capacity to mitigate disasters and safeguard communities.
Published in Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, this paper is highly relevant, focusing on how managerial decision-making applies directly to environmental sciences and industrial medicine. It integrates management practices with emergency situations, reflecting the journal's broad interest in social sciences. The high citation count further illustrates its importance within the field of disaster management.