The Effects of Disaster Cognition and Disaster Risk Cognition on the Disaster Management Competence of Social Workers Working in Social Welfare Centers: focusing on the mediation effects of disaster preparedness

Abstract

This study set out to investigate the effects of disaster cognition and disaster risk cognition on the disaster management competence of social workers working in social welfare centers and examine their disaster management competence in details by focusing on the mediation effects of disaster preparedness. The purpose of this study is to establish a disaster safety culture at the organizational level of social welfare centers and to seek ways to strengthen disaster management competence at the level of individual social workers. To this end, a survey was conducted with social workers in social welfare centers(community welfare centers, community rehabilitation centers, and senior welfare centers located in Busan. Total 980 questionnaires were distributed, and 896 ones were returned, and the data of 892 research subjects was used for the descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, structural equation model(measurement model and structural model) analysis, and mediation effects analysis using bootstrapping. The analysis results are as follows. First, it was found that the disaster cognition and disaster risk cognition directly affected the disaster management competence. Secondly, as for the relationship between disaster cognition and disaster management competence, and between their disaster risk cognition and disaster management competence, the mediating effects of disaster preparedness was found statistically significant. In particular, as a result of effect decomposition, it was found that the indirect effect of disaster preparedness had most significant impacts on the disaster management competence, being followed by the direct effect of disaster risk cognition in the order, which suggests that the social welfare academy should increase their interest in disaster preparedness. Based on the above results, it is necessary to seek ways to realize a safety-first organizational culture by raising the value and awareness of disaster safety at the organizational level of social welfare centers. And at the level of individual social workers, it will be necessary to actively participate in various disaster safety education and training. In addition, it will be important to foster expertise and responsibility in disaster safety for the rapid recovery of local communities. Finally, it was suggested that it is important to seek ways to increase disaster preparedness at the organizational level of social welfare centers and individual social workers.