By definition, strategic flexibility refers to the capability of a firm to identify, respond, and adapt to significant changes taking place in its environment. For most organizations, the ability to respond to changes is usually characterized by having the necessary resources in place to handle the new environment and having a plan in place to return back to the original state once the changes have been reversed. For an emergency response team strategic flexibility is a critical aspect in their operations attributed to the nature of their work. No one can really predict the scope of the disaster, and emergency response teams are expected to have a plan in place that effectively mitigates an incident which is where strategic flexibility comes into play (Brozovic, 2018). The following is an analysis of how strategic flexibility is utilized by the City of Houstons emergency management disaster response team.

As mentioned above, it is impossible to come up with a plan that can help respond to every type of disaster. The response team for Huston's city utilizes strategic flexibility by creating a plan that accounts for various aspects of any type of disaster. So as to prepare their teams for any type of disaster, the management team is constantly engaging the workers in practical exercise with smaller scenarios of possible incidents. These exercises help these teams develop plans that are scalable and flexible, which can help respond to a real disaster. Having an established communication line is one of the most critical components of strategic flexibility, especially for a disaster response team. Staying in touch with all stakeholders during an emergency is vital in guaranteeing successful rescue efforts (Jung, & Song, 2015). For Hustons emergency rescue team communication is enhanced by having technology that allows team managers to send instant messages to all stakeholders, both external and internal. Strategic flexibility in disaster response dictates that one should have everything in place before they even need it. To minimize communication breakdown, the response team at Huston usually have messages that might need to be sent during the emergency already drafted and stored with the managers.

The other aspect of strategic flexibility that the emergency team at Huston utilizes is including adaptive elements in their planning. There are some similarities to some of the disasters people experience such as a flood could have similar elements like a fire which means that actions are taken to mitigate one can be repeated when responding to the other. Practicing how to respond to an emergency while taking account of the fact that, its response plan can be utilized to handle another type of disaster helps the response team effectively adapt to changes. Often the scope of an emergency extended beyond what the emergency team had anticipated, which is where the adaptive elements come into play. Strategic flexibility, in this case, ensures that the team members do not panic and adapt to the new changes based on previous experiences. The ability to adapt as the situation changes also fosters collaboration with other agencies, especially when an incident expands beyond the initial scope. For Hustons emergency response team adaptability has allowed team leaders to incorporate the assistance of community leaders and other stakeholders whenever a disaster extended the realm of their control (Canton, 2019).

Having a proactive and flexible leadership is the other step that Huston's emergency response team maintains strategic flexibility. When responding to a disaster, several aspects come to light, such as the fact that some people tend to step up as leaders in times of an emergency while others perform better when receiving orders from someone else. Strategic flexibility guarantees that personality types are identified within the emergency teams and that they are placed appropriately for maximum output. With such a strategy in place, a well-trained leader can have the ability to take action regardless of how much a situation changes even beyond the scope of the planning documentation. When dealing with emergency changes are inventible, and having a leader that can offer guidance and direction can go a long way in ensuring that people stay from harm's way and that work is done efficiently. The emergency team at Huston is characterized by a clear chain of command that is flexible as part of its planning, which minimizes confusion during disasters, especially when changes occur (Jahre, & Fabbe-Costes, 2015).

Strategic flexibility for emergency response team also includes continuously making evaluations and improvements to the preparedness strategy. For the emergency response team at Huston, team leaders are constantly reviewing the response plans to identify weak links and remove them. When dealing with a disaster, continuous assessment of adaptability to change is vital so as to identify areas that should be improved on with the next emergency (Fahey, Walker, & Lennox, 2014). Even though the best preparedness plan is largely based on the basics having the ability to expand is critical in guaranteeing success. Changes, as mentioned, cannot be avoided when responding to a disaster and at times the scope of the incident extends beyond the team's imagination which creates the necessity for strategic flexibility if success is to be achieved in spite of the changes.

References

Brozovic, D., (2018). Strategic flexibility: A review of the literature. International Journal of Management Reviews, 20(1), 3-31.

Canton, L. G., (2019). Emergency management: Concepts and strategies for effective programs. Wiley.

Fahey, C., Walker, J., & Lennox, G. (2014). Flexible, focused training: Keeps volunteer ambulance officers. Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 1(1).

Jahre, M., & Fabbe-Costes, N., (2015). How standards and modularity can improve humanitarian supply chain responsiveness: The case of emergency response units. Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 5(3), 348-386.

Jung, K., & Song, M., (2015). Linking emergency management networks to disaster resilience: bonding and bridging strategy in hierarchical or horizontal collaboration networks. Quality & Quantity, 49(4), 1465-1483.