Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs:

Understanding the Impact of Diversity in Construction Industries

Ester Todd

Department of Leadership Studies, Fort Hays State University

LDRS 810: Qualitative Research Methods

Dr. Lori Kniffin

Fall 2023
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 2

Introduction

Emergency preparedness is a topic that many people shrink away from because it can bring up

feelings of anxiety and discomfort, especially in light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Thinking of cyber-attacks, bioterrorism, and mega ice storms may not be light dinner-table

conversation, but they are important considerations for anyone working in the construction or

related industries. The risks and hazards from manmade, natural, or technological causes can

damage infrastructure, cause major supply chain disruptions, create immediate workforce safety

and well-being concerns, produce major financial setbacks, and delay or cancel projects. Within

the construction industry, safety standards are highly regulated to help mitigate accidents and

minimize injuries—but the same cannot be said for emergency preparedness beyond the basics

like fire prevention and hazardous materials management. This means that emergency

preparedness programs are built upon the engagement and cooperation of team members and are

therefore subject to the cultural backgrounds, values, and attitudes of said individuals.

A significant amount of literature has been dedicated to the impact of cultural

backgrounds, values and attitudes on emergency preparedness, especially in terms of the growing

recognition of diversity and inclusion within emergency management fields (Almklov, P. G.,

Antonsen, S., Bye, R., & Øren, A., 2018; Ozaki, T., & Nakayachi, K., 2020; Paton, D., &

Johnston, D., 2001; Stabile, B., Simon, K., Thornton, T. E., & Grant, A., 2022). Other studies

have focused on safety in the construction industry and the impact of team members’ attitudes

and values (Zou, P. X., 2011). However, emphasis has never specifically been laid on the

cultural backgrounds, values, and attitudes of team members in relation to their engagement in

emergency preparedness programs. Because emergency preparedness—unlike safety—is largely

unregulated in construction and similar industries, the voluntary engagement and cooperation of
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 3

team members in these programs is vital to the overall well-being of each team member and their

organizations. This study will fill a gap in the current literature and will help provide actionable

knowledge for professionals in emergency management fields and leaders in the construction and

related industries.

Purpose Statement and Central Questions

The purpose of this case study is to understand how diversity in the construction industry

influences the engagement of team members in disaster preparedness efforts both at the

individual and organizational levels. For this study, the construction industry is represented

through a diverse organization of approximately 3,500 team members, ranging in geographical

location across the Midwest and South regions of the United States. To better understand the

purpose of this study, I am asking the central question, “How do the cultural backgrounds,

values, and attitudes of people in the construction industry influence their engagement in disaster

preparedness efforts, both at the individual and organizational level?”

Additionally, I will be exploring the following sub-questions:

1. How does diversity influence team member’s perception of emergency preparedness?

2. How does diversity in the workforce impact the organization’s ability to build an

effective emergency preparedness program?

3. How do team member’s attitudes and values play a role in their engagement in

organizational programs?

4. How does the organization facilitate cross-cultural collaboration among team members?

How does this affect disaster resilience?

Literature Review
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 4

After identifying the central question and sub-questions for this study, I began the literature

review process. The goal of reviewing relevant literature is to establish context for this study by

looking at the existing knowledge related to disaster preparedness, cultural backgrounds, values,

attitudes, team member engagement, and the construction industry. For this purpose, I utilized a

variety of search terms, key words, and databases to find relevant research. These search terms

and databases are located in Appendices A and B.

What immediately stands out in current literature is a research gap; there are no major

peer-reviewed studies specifically looking at the central question, “How do the cultural

backgrounds, values, and attitudes of people in the construction industry influence their

engagement in disaster preparedness efforts, both at the individual and organizational level?”

Because of this, I found it necessary to examine research that may help fill gaps in what we

currently know, to provide better context for the overarching themes in this study. This research

is organized into two main categories: diversity in emergency preparedness and diversity in

organizational programs.

Diversity in Emergency Preparedness

Modern emergency preparedness encompasses a holistic community approach, meaning

that program efforts should be focused on collaboration, community strengths, empowerment,

social justice, and an understanding and appreciation of diversity (Gil and Kilmer, 2016).

Understanding and integrating the strengths of both individual community members and

communities as a whole increases emergency preparedness capacities, providing a variety of

knowledge, skills, and viewpoints. Gil and Kilmer (2016) also write that “Social, cultural, and

historical factors shape the nature of the adverse events communities experience, their

perceptions of and responses to the events, the nature of the resources available, and how these
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 5

resources are organized. These factors also influence community members’ perceptions of the

opportunities available and their investment in social settings and contexts” (p 1324).

Older research took a different approach to how much value diversity brings to

emergency preparedness efforts. For example, Paton and Johnston (2001) quote research

indicating that age, ethnic minority status, and education status can “act to increase or decrease

vulnerability [to disasters] depending on [their] contingent relationship with environmental and

hazard characteristics” (p 272). But these authors also state that effective communication

strategies for emergency preparedness efforts must be consistent with recipients’ beliefs and

requires identifying individual vulnerability factors (Paton & Johnston, 2001). They also note

that a “sense of community (feelings of belonging and attachment for people and places)

encourages involvement in community response following disaster” (p 273). While this

statement is in reference to individuals engaging in their community level emergency

preparedness efforts, I am curious to know if it can be effectively translated into the workplace

as well.

Today, diversity is valued in both public and private sector emergency preparedness

programs. Author Ninela Ivanova writes in the article “People-centered business continuity: a

case for inclusive design” that developing successful business continuity programs (an umbrella

term used in private sector to describe a variety of emergency preparedness related processes)

requires having a diverse team, taking into consideration who they are, where they come from,

and how they demonstrate strategic value and activities to both external stakeholders and internal

employees (Ivanova, 2022). If the role of leaders is to model key behaviors, coach and provide

care for team members, then they must be able to understand the attitudes, values, and diversity
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 6

of team members: “it comes down to empathy, inclusion and collaboration not just as a leader

but to also embed such attributes into culture, strategy and operations” (Ivanova, 2022, p 33).

The Construction Management and Economics journal recognized the opportunity for

additional research on lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic (a major disaster) as

experienced specifically in the construction industry and produced a call for papers/summary of

current knowledge in 2021. This issue focuses on a variety of efforts from an industry/policy

level, organizational/project level, and workgroup/individual level. This research is interesting

because it points out several populations who were particularly at risk during this disaster: older

team members, migrant workers, and women (Lingard et al, 2021). Most importantly, the authors

of this article recognized the need for additional research on these topics, to “collate evidence as

to what worked well and what did not, and why, and to identify and share lessons learned in

relation to strengthening the global construction industry’s risk governance mechanisms”

(Lingard et al., 2021, p 193).

From the public sector’s perspective, the United States government has recently recognized

that historical and cultural background can impact how individuals perceive disasters and

emergency work. They state that past mistrusts, abuse, and fear can lead to hesitation from Native

Americans in collaborating with response efforts. One recommendation when working with Native

Americans is to understand individual cultures and belief systems, as well as their unique

community needs (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2022). This

research—though it focuses on a public sector perspective—is useful for understanding how

historical and cultural backgrounds can have significant impact on individual’s response to

disasters and emergency work.

Diversity in Organizational Programs

Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 7

There are a lot of arguments for how diversity can positively influence organizational

engagement. Authors Kirby and Richard (2000) summarize these key arguments:

1. Resource acquisition argument: employers who manage diversity develop favorable

reputations with women and ethnic minorities leading to winning competition in the labor

pool

2. Marketing argument: markets are becoming more diverse, and women and minority

employees can provide awareness and understanding of how to approach these markets

3. System-flexibility argument: increasing cultural competencies leads to flexibility and

increased resiliency in dealing with other types of change

4. Creativity argument: diverse perspectives increase creative thought, performance, and

decision-making

5. Problem-solving argument: diverse workforces produce better decisions due to variety of

perspectives

6. Cost-reduction argument: failure to integrate diversity will lead to greater turnover,

absenteeism, and lack of productivity.

Overall, organizational culture can have a significant impact on team member’s engagement in

disaster preparedness efforts, and therefore the success of these programs. Diverse organizational

cultures may help foster engagement including inclusion, collaboration, open communication,

accountability, and continuous learning. The way other team members and leadership behave can

also impact team member behavior. Other organizational culture factors are identified by Tyler et

al. (2019) when they conducted a study seeking to identify what factors motivate organizations

to adopt preparedness methods, from team members’ perceptions. For private organizations, this

study found that the age of the organization plays a role in emergency preparedness programs:
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 8

“older private organizations reported being significantly more likely to adopt three of the four

preparedness dimensions—management, direction, and coordination, formal and informal

response plans, and life‐safety protection” (Tyler et al. 2019, p 13). In addition, the perception of

risk influenced the organization’s decision to adopt disaster preparedness efforts, an idea backed

up by Paton and Johnston (2001): “risk perception, and support for collective mitigation

initiatives, was driven less by hazard characteristics and more by their current implications for

their livelihood” (p 271). Therefore, how an organization approaches risks and hazards (through

policies, training, resource investment, etc.) will have a direct impact on how team members

respond and engage in preparedness programs.

The length of a team member’s tenure may also impact their perception of disaster

preparedness, which of course may tie into how much training a team member has had (Tyler et

al., 2019). Tyler et al’s study focuses primarily on how preparedness efforts are perceived, and

the differences between private, public, and nonprofit sectors. However, it does provide a helpful

understanding of how preparedness and risks are perceived by the organization and individual

team members can influence disaster preparedness efforts.

While much research has been done on diversity in organizations, there does seem to be

little literature available specifically looking at diversity and team member engagement in

emergency preparedness programs. There is, however, research about team member engagement

with other programs, such as safety. Since safety does overlap with emergency preparedness

(and vice versa) in many areas, it seems appropriate to use the available literature to provide

context and background for how diversity may impact team member’s engagement in workplace

programs. The American Society of Safety Professionals published a report titled “Women and

Safety in the Modern Workplace: Creating a diverse and inclusive workplace can boost safety,
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 9

productivity and profitability,” in which they explore how diversity impacts workplace safety

and how to improve diversity initiatives. They write that ““Diversity is important for any

business and any industry, but maybe even more so in safety because we’re trying to protect a

wide variety of workers” (American Society of Safety Professionals, 2019, p 8). Traditionally,

safety has been a very male-dominated field, with women only making up 22% of certified

safety professionals; however, “efforts to attract the best practitioners should organically

translate into a more diverse profession” (American Society of Safety Professionals, 2019, p 8).

They also encourage organizations to mitigate against hiring only “like-minded people with

similar life experiences and backgrounds,” instead focusing on diverse hiring practices so that

team members can feel safe speaking up and engaging in the workplace (American Society of

Professionals, 2019, p 21).

Existing literature provides historical background about how diversity has been thought

of in emergency preparedness, insights into how diversity impacts organizational culture and

team member engagement, and even some thoughts about emergency preparedness efforts in the

construction industry. This qualitative research study seeks to provide a connecting thread

between all of these topics, providing a better understanding of how diversity, team member

engagement, and emergency preparedness interact.

Methodology

Research Design

For this study, I will be using the case study methodology approach to investigate the influence

of cultural backgrounds, values, and attitudes on the engagement of individuals in the

construction industry in disaster preparedness efforts. The case study methodology provides an

in-depth explorations and analysis of a case or multiple cases. For this study, I will be looking at
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 10

multiple individuals as the unit of analysis, allowing for a comprehensive examination of how (if

at all) their cultural backgrounds, values, and attitudes shape their approach to disaster

preparedness. The case study approach is suitable for this study because it directly addresses the

main research question and provides an in-depth, contextually rich understanding. Disaster

preparedness efforts are influenced by a multitude of contextual factors, and a case study will

allow me to delve deeper into these intricacies. Creswell and Poth (2018) write that case studies

typically focus on “current, real-life cases that are in progress” for the most accurate information,

which is how this research study will be conducted (p 97). Using the case study methodology

will also allow me to obtain detailed insights, identify specific patterns, and even transfer

findings to practical relevance within the construction industry.

Methods of Data Collection

The data for this study will consist of in-depth, one-on-one interviews with individuals from

within a construction industry organization called XXX. Interviews were chosen as the primary

data collection method due to their ability to provide accounts, or “rationales, explanations, and

justifications for [participants’] actions and opinions” (Tracy, 2013, p 132). I intend to conduct

three or four structured interviews with individuals within this organization who have insights

into disaster preparedness efforts. Each interview will last approximately forty-five minutes and

will be designed to explore the interviewee’s cultural backgrounds, values, and attitudes and

their engagement in disaster preparedness efforts, both at the individual and organizational level.

The structured format of these interviews will ensure that the data collection remains consistent

across each interview, so that the key research questions are addressed and answered in the most

efficient way possible. In Appendix C, the Interview Protocol provides a guide for the interview

process and the specific questions that will be asked during the interviews.
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 11

Context and Sample

For this case study, participants will be recruited from within a mid-size organization in the

construction industry called XXX. XXX employes approximately 3,500 employees and is

geographically spread out across over a dozen locations in the United States. While many of the

organization’s offices are based out of the Midwest or South, employees are recruited and work

on job sites in every area of the U.S. Participants for this study will ideally be individuals within

the organization who can accurately describe the workforce, emergency preparedness program,

and employee attitudes, values, and cultural backgrounds. Participants will ideally be from

diverse backgrounds and be able to provide a variety of perspectives, although I do recognize

that given the small sample size not all perspectives may be covered. Because of the time

constraints and level of this research project, convenience sampling will be used.

Recruitment Procedure and Documentation

For this study, I will be recruiting the intended sample via email. These participants will be

individuals who have expressed to the researcher an interest in participating, or who have a

connection to the organization’s emergency preparedness program to at least a limited capacity.

Emailing potential participants will be a time-efficient way to conduct communication,

considering that I am not physically able to post a flyer in the breakroom as a remote employee.

Because this will be conducted at my current place of employment, I want to ensure through my

verbiage that participants understand they can choose to not participate without any

consequences to their relationship with myself, the organization’s Emergency Preparedness

Coordinator. The draft email is located in Appendix E.

Researcher Reflection and Subjectivity

Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 12

As a graduate school student in the Organizational Leadership program at Fort Hays State

University, I, Ester, have had the opportunity to expand my knowledge of research processes

from just quantitative approaches to qualitative and combination approaches. In my

undergraduate studies, I learned the importance of quantitative research and how to understand

and utilize data. Now, I have grown to appreciate the value of qualitative research and the role

that it plays in understanding the world around us, especially in the way that it encourages

critical thinking and question-asking. I have always been naturally inquisitive, wondering how

and why things work the way that they do, and more importantly—how people think, what they

think, and why they think that way. Much of my research is driven by an underlying desire to

better understand people so that I can effectively contribute to improving community and

organizational systems.

My interest in emergency management work began early in life, when I became aware of

the enormous and tragic effect that natural disasters and other emergencies can have on

communities. Naturally, I began asking questions about the decision-makers in disaster recovery

processes, then about disaster response processes, and finally—about emergency preparedness.

My work in public health emergency preparedness during the COVID-19 pandemic helped shape

my understanding of the needs that communities and organizations face during disasters. Along

with a heavy focus on understanding people and at-risk groups during my undergraduate studies,

my post-graduation work has also looked in-depth at the way emergencies and disasters affect

diverse populations in different ways. During COVID-19, I became acutely aware of how some

populations are disproportionately affected by disasters and emergencies. I connected this with

my understanding of leadership and systems thinking, realizing that to effectively lead the
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 13

improvement of systems, one must first understand how individuals think about and are affected

by emergencies and disasters.

This knowledge has stayed in the front of my mind throughout my Organizational

Leadership studies, and in my daily work. This particular research study began as a question in

my head several years ago and morphed into the study that has allowed me to better understand

people’s opinions, thoughts, and beliefs about emergency preparedness in relation to their

cultural backgrounds and upbringings. I believe that people are the most important resource in an

organization, and I also believe that one of the keys to good leadership and systems improvement

is understanding your people. I believe that everyone holds a leadership role in their life and that

leaders are responsible for asking questions—lots of questions—in order to make the best

decisions possible. The same applies to both the researcher (myself) and the readers who wish to

interpret this study.

Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 14

References

American Society of Safety Professionals. (2019, October). Women and safety - american society

of safety professionals. ASSP.ORG. https://www.assp.org/docs/default-source/default-

document-library/assp_women_and_safety_report_0419.pdf?sfvrsn=28

Gil, R. V., & Kilmer, R. P. (2016). Building Community Capacity and Fostering Disaster

Resilience. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 72(12), 1318–1332. https://doi-

org.ezproxy.fhsu.edu/10.1002/jclp.22281

Ivanova, N. (2022). People‐centred business continuity: a case for inclusive design. Design

Management Journal, 17(1), 30–48. https://doi-org.ezproxy.fhsu.edu/10.1111/dmj.12076

Kirby, S. L., & Richard, O. C. (2000). Impact of marketing work-place diversity on employee job

involvement and organizational commitment. Journal of Social Psychology, 140(3), 367–

377. https://doi-org.ezproxy.fhsu.edu/10.1080/00224540009600477

Lingard, H., Peihua Zhang, R., Räisänen, C., Miang Goh, Y., Bowen, P., & Bhandari, S. (2021).

Special issue: what have we learnt from the COVID-19 global pandemic: improving the

construction industry’s abilities to foresee, respond to and recover from future endemic

catastrophes. Construction Management & Economics, 39(2), 192–197. https://doi-

org.ezproxy.fhsu.edu/10.1080/01446193.2020.1869480

Tyler, J. Sadiq, A., & Chikoto, S. G. L. (2020). Variations in employees’ perceptions of

organizational disaster preparedness. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management,

28(1), 2-18. https://doi-org.ezproxy.fhsu.edu/10.111/1468-5973.12281

Paton, D., & Johnston, D. (2001). Disasters and communities: Vulnerability, resilience and

Preparedness. Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, 10(4),

270–277. https://doi.org/10.1108/eum0000000005930
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 15

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022). Tips for Disaster

Responders: Understanding Historical Trauma and Resilience When Responding to an

Event in Indian Country. Unites States Department of Health and Human Services.
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 16

APPENDIX A – Key Words

Emergency preparedness and diversity

Emergency management and diversity
Business continuity and diversity
Employee engagement and diversity
Employee engagement and emergency preparedness
Employee engagement and organizational culture
Employee engagement and safety
Safety and emergency preparedness
Safety and diversity
Construction industry and emergency preparedness
Construction industry and employee engagement
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 17

APPENDIX B – Databases
Academic Search Premier
EBCO Database
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 18

APPENDIX C
Interview Protocol

Opening Statement
Thank you for taking time to participate in the study “Insights in Emergency
Preparedness Programs: Understanding the Impact of Diversity in Construction
Industries”.

[Reiterate items on the informed consent statement:]

The purpose of this study is to investigate and understand how the cultural backgrounds,
values, and attitudes of individuals within the construction industry impact their
participation and involvement in disaster preparedness efforts, both at the individual and
organizational levels.
What you are invited to do is participate in a one-on-one interview with the researcher.
This interview consists of pre-established questions and will last approximately 30
minutes.
I sent you a copy of the informed consent statement in advance, but to summarize:
I will keep your information confidential.
Your participation is voluntary, and you can withdraw at any time without consequence.
Minimal risks are anticipated.
There is no compensation, but I anticipate that you’ll benefit by getting to reflect on and
contribute to the research topic.

Do you have any questions for me?

Do you consent to participating in this study?
Is it alright with you if I begin recording?

---Start recording---

Interview Questions

Section A – Diversity and Perception of Emergency Preparedness

Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 19

1. How would you describe your cultural background or heritage?

2. How would you describe your experience with cultural diversity, both at a personal level

and within the workplace?

3. When you think of diversity, what factors, characteristics, or attributes do you think of

and why? Which (if any) of these do you identify with?

4. When you hear the terms disaster preparedness or emergency preparedness, what do you

think of?

5. What, if any, risks or hazards did you consider when you were growing up? Where did

your knowledge of these risks come from? (i.e. family, school, T.V.)

6. Can you describe any particular experiences where your cultural background and

upbringing has played a role in your perception of emergency preparedness?

7. How do you believe your background might have shaped your perspective on emergency

preparedness?

Section B – Diversity and the Organization’s Emergency Preparedness Program

1. When you think of diversity in the construction industry, what factors do you think of,

and why? For example, ethnicity, gender, religion, or age.

2. Can you describe your organization’s emergency preparedness efforts?

3. To what extent have you been involved in your organization’s emergency preparedness

efforts?

4. How do you think a diverse workforce might affect the development and implementation

of an organization’s emergency preparedness program?

5. Are there specific ways in which a diverse workforce might impact the organization’s

ability to identify and address potential risks and hazards?

Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 20

Section C – Team member attitudes, values, and organizational engagement

1. How would you describe the attitudes and values among team members in your

organization, especially as they relate to their engagement in organizational programs?

2. Can you describe any situations or experiences in which your beliefs, attitudes, or values

played a role in your engagement in organizational programs?

3. How do you think beliefs, attitudes, or values shape a team member’s commitment and

engagement in organizational emergency preparedness programs?

Section D – Organizational cross-cultural collaboration

1. In your experience, how does your organization facilitate cross-cultural collaboration in

the workplace?

2. How do you think cross-cultural collaboration might impact the organization’s decision-

making processes, especially during times of crisis?

3. Are there any specific practices, skills, or competencies that the organization encourages

to help make team members from different backgrounds feel more included?

Section E - Conclusion

1. Is there anything else you’d like to share related to the study that I have not asked about

yet?

Closing Statement
That concludes the interview. I want to thank you again for your time and insight.

As detailed in the participant consent form, any identifying information from this
interview will be removed from the transcript. Once all interviews are complete, I will be
analyzing this data to help complete my study. If you have any follow-up questions about
your participation or would like a copy of the completed study, please let me know.
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 21

If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you!
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 22

APPENDIX D

Informed Consent Statement

Study Title: Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs:

Understanding the Impact of Diversity in Construction Industries

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate and understand how the cultural backgrounds, values,
and attitudes of individuals within the construction industry impact their participation and
involvement in disaster preparedness efforts, both at the individual and organizational levels.

Procedures
This research will involve your participation in a one-on-one interview with the researcher. This
will be a one-time interview consisting of pre-established questions and lasting approximately 30
minutes in length.

Confidentiality
The interview will be audio and video recorded for the purpose of being transcribed. You have
the right to turn off your video or change your name at any time during the interview process.
The recording will only be viewed by me as the researcher. I will use it to create a transcript, and
I will remove all identifiable information in the transcript. Once the de-identified version of the
transcript is created, the recording will be deleted. All electronic data will be stored in a
password-protected location.

Voluntary Participation
You are invited to participate in this study because you are employed in the construction (or
adjacent) industry. Your decision to participate is voluntary and you have the right to withdraw
your consent and discontinue your participation at any point during the study. Your decision to
participate or not participate will not affect your relationship with your employer or the
researcher.

Risks
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 23

Minimal risks are anticipated as part of this study. However, to further minimize potential risks,
we will be sure to reiterate that participation is voluntary and that the responses will be
anonymous.

Benefits
There is no compensation for participating in this study. The anticipated benefit to you as a
participant is the opportunity to reflect on and contribute to the understanding of the research
topic.

Consent
Prior to participating in the study, you will have an opportunity to ask questions and to provide
verbal consent. By consenting, you are agreeing that you are not giving up any legal rights and
confirming that you are 18 years or older.

Questions
If you have questions about the study, please contact the following individuals:

Ester Todd
Primary Researcher
m_todd2@mail.fhsu.edu
(785) 673-3157

If you have any concerns regarding the study, you may also contact the supervising instructor or
the Office of Scholarship and Sponsored Programs at Fort Hays State University:

Dr. Lori Kniffin

Primary Researcher Supervisor/Instructor
lekniffin@fhsu.edu
785-628-4303

Office of Scholarship and Sponsored Programs

IRB@fhsu.edu
785-628-4236
Insights in Emergency Preparedness Programs 24

APPENDIX E
Draft Recruitment Email

Hello [recipient name],

My name is Ester Todd and I am a graduate student at Fort Hays State University. As part of my
graduate program, I am conducting a research study on emergency preparedness in the
construction industry and am seeking individuals who might be interested in assisting with my
research. The time commitment would be approximately 30 minutes for a one-on-one interview.
Your participation would be confidential and completely voluntary.
If you have an interest in participating in this study, please review the attached Informed Consent
Statement for details on the study, and then feel free to reply to this email for further
information. If you choose to participate, we will work together to find a convenient time for the
interview.
Thank you for your time in reviewing and considering this invitation.
My best,
Ester Todd