From Virginia Tech to Seattle Pacific U: An Exploratory Study of Perceptions Regarding Risk and Crisis Preparedness Among University Employees

With recent tragic incidents like the 2007 Virginia Tech campus shooting and the 2014 Seattle Pacific University shooting, it is clear that crisis is always a possibility for colleges and universities. Many large organizations have crisis contingency plans, which are ineffective unless they are communicated to the desired target audience. The current study presents findings from a survey of university employees, measuring perception variables regarding risk and crisis preparedness. Women were more knowledgeable than men on crisis response. Staff members reported higher levels of knowledge and self-efficacy than faculty. In addition, perceived knowledge may be a better predictor of self-efficacy and perceived preparedness than actual knowledge. Implications for risk and crisis management are discussed.