The influence of scandals on autonomy, control and management of public sector organisations: the case study of the emergency response centre

The Influence of Scandals on Autonomy, Control and Management of Public Sector Organisations: the Case Study of the Emergency Response Centre The case history of preceding studies fails to provide sufficient guidance for public sector organizations on their desirable behaviour after a fiasco or a scandal, which is related to the activities of that organization. It has not been examined whether this impacts the level of autonomy and control at the organisation or management improvement opportunities. The methodology applied herein, allows for research analysis of a wide range of public sector organizations and their post-scandal behaviour. This paper analyses the behaviour of the Emergency Response Centre (ERC) after the scandalous tragedy at Dembava, when a 17 year-old girl was raped and burned alive. Massive search was conducted by the police force, but the girl was not found in time. In a situation like this, the organization could have tried to deny its fault, to simulate activities in order to conceal the scandal or try to otherwise avoid responsibility. Thus, the organization’s repute and its forthcoming goals might have been put under serious threat. The data collected herein allowed establishing that the ERC, which was being applied strict regulations, was acting reasonably and managed to maintain a higher autonomy level of strategic management of staff than it was before the aforementioned tragedy. Not only has this event caused difficulties for the ERC, but it has also allowed the organisation to implement the goals and measures, which had been established previously due to increased attention from politicians and the controlling organisation