Emotions in crisis management: an analysis of the organizational response of two natural disasters

The impact of emotions on organizational performance during crisis response is examined. Data are drawn from the after action reports of individuals in two American Red Cross teams, one faced with responding to Hurricane Hugo and the other to the Loma Prieta Earthquake. Based on the texts generated by individuals in the American Red Cross who took part in these situations, we examine whether the affective content varies across crises and individuals. These results have implications for understanding organizational response to sudden onset events with potentially catastrophic impact that could disrupt entire communities.