Abstract
Relief and rebuilding work after disasters involves a more extensive effort than traditionally assumed. It is more than the distribution of food and medical supplies. Workers will include people from relief agencies as well as from the local community. Compared to the general population, these people are more susceptible to psychological risk. It is agreed that proper selection and training are essential to protect them and to ensure work effectiveness. The reasons are discussed and elaborated in the first section. In the second part, we describe the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics essential to this kind of work, and recommend that we start developing instruments for personnel selection. In the third part, we review training programmes for aid workers, and propose future directions. Finally, we identify a few areas in which industrial and organizational (I-O) psychologists can make valuable contributions.
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© 2012 Eddie Chi Wai Ng, Sally M. P. Chan & C. Harry Hui
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Ng, E.C.W., Chan, S.M.P., Hui, C.H. (2012). Personnel Psychology for Disaster Response and Recovery. In: Carr, S.C., MacLachlan, M., Furnham, A. (eds) Humanitarian Work Psychology. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137015228_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137015228_10
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