Two Years Later: Hurricane Katrina Still Poses Significant Human Resource Problems for Local Governments

Abstract

This study explores the impact of Hurricane Katrina on local government HR management for several cities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The authors interviewed mayors, city managers, chief administrative officers, and HR directors regarding a range of topics, including the recruitment and retention of employees in the post-Katrina environment. Analysis of the interviews shows that the smaller cities and towns on the Gulf Coast continue to struggle with hiring and retaining qualified employees. While some local governments have faired better than others during the recovery period, discussions with city officials have shown that retaining employees has proven difficult and daunting following the catastrophe.

Human Resource Management in Crisis Situations: A Systematic Literature Review

“…After the disasters, there was a lack of manpower to rebuild houses and infrastructure. To improve the situation, there is a need for information on infrastructure recovery experts and organisations need to have the capability to use volunteers in effective ways [3,22,23,58,69,70].…”

Enhancing the Legitimacy of Local Government Pandemic Influenza Planning through Transparency and Public Engagement

“…Proper planning and preparation can reduce many unknowns that may confound a response by local government officials and residents of a stricken area. The ultimate goal for residents is to reduce their own vulnerability, whereas the objective of municipal officials is to protect the public with minimal interruptions to the operations of their governments (French, Goodman, and Stanley 2008).…”

From “No Man's Land” to a “Stronger Community”: Communitas as a Theoretical Framework for Successful Disaster Recovery

“…Recovery can be a complex and complicated process as, in the aftermath of a disaster, communities are faced with a multitude of challenges including providing shelter for displaced residents, restoring public utilities, clearing and managing debris, restoring local business activity, and managing the rebuilding process. Disasters are especially threatening to small communities, which often have limited resources, personnel, and infrastructure necessary to support the recovery process (French et al 2008;Paul and Che 2011). Although some small-town leaders treat disaster recovery as an opportunity to rebuild their towns in novel ways (Paul and Che 2011), other communities languish in attempts to rebuild.…”

“…Although some small-town leaders treat disaster recovery as an opportunity to rebuild their towns in novel ways (Paul and Che 2011), other communities languish in attempts to rebuild. Researchers recognize recovery for some small towns is thwarted by losses of personnel and human capital (French et al 2008;Slack et al 2010), political decisions at state and federal levels that favor larger communities (Crittenden 2001;Dash et al 2007), and isolation from agencies and organizations that can provide assistance (Baker et al 2007;Bolin 1976). However, a number of factors can foster successful disaster recovery for small towns, including assistance from state and federal authorities (Rubin 1985), presence of non-profit and non-government organizations such as the Red Cross (Chandra and Acosta 2009) and the percentage of homeowners with flood insurance (Dash et al 2007).…”