Identifying barriers to empowerment initiatives in a fire service command structure: An international comparison of the issues of empowerment in four fire brigades. ARBUTHNOT, Kevin Brian Patrick. Available from the Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive (SHURA) at: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/19284/ A Sheffield Hallam University thesis This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. 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Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 IDENTIFYING BARRIERS TO EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVES IN A FIRE SERVICE COMMAND STRUCTURE: An international comparison of the issue of empowerment in four fire brigades. by Kevin Brian Patrick Arbuthnot Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements of the University for the Degree of Master of Philosophy Sheffield Hallam University with the co-operation of: West Midlands Fire Service West Yorkshire Fire Service Hong Kong Fire Services Dept City of New York Fire Dept. Phoenix Fire Dept. 1995 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My thanks are due to Professors David Morris and Bob Haigh of Sheffield Hallam University Business School, for everything they have done to steer and encourage me during the development of this investigation. The following organisations and individuals have been of tremendous help during the preparation of this dissertation, and the research period: West Midlands Fire Service, its Chief Fire Officer Graham Meldrum, CBE, QFSM, MCFireE, and the many officers and support staff with whom the author served until mid- 1994. West Yorkshire Fire Service, its Chief Fire Officer James Manuel, QFSM, FIFireE, and the officers and staff with whom the author currently serves. Hong Kong Fire Services Department, its Director Jerry LAM Chek-yuen, and all officers and staff involved; especially: Chief Fire Officer Henry TANG Siu, Senior Divisional Officer TSANG Kwong-kwai, Senior Station Officer Kenneth WONG Yan-to. The City of New York Fire Department, its Chief of Department A. Fusco, and staff who were of assistance, in particular: Captain Phil Laudati, Deputy Chief Vince Dunn, Deputy Chief Steve Derosa. Phoenix Fire Department, its Chief Alan V. Brunacini, who was an inspiration to the author personally, to Division Chief David Vera and Mrs. Heidi Peacock of the Total Quality Service team, who made a much appreciated personal investment of effort and interest on the author's behalf. The following staff were helpful and hospitable: Chief "Chuck" Kime, Chief Dennis Compton, All staff at Battalion Two, i Deputy Chief Mike Ingalina, Deputy Chief Harry Beck. I would like to record my condolences to the Phoenix F.D. and to the family of Firefighter Paramedic Tim Hale, who was killed in action on the second night of the author's visit, in the early hours of Saturday 12th February 1994. The Fire Service College, its Commandant (until April 1994 Brian Fuller, CBE, QFSM, FIFireE, from April 1994 Frank David, QFSM), and all staff and departments, particularly: Brigade Command Course Director, CFO Robin Currie, Tutor/Assessor Mrs. Lena Wanford, Technical Assessor Dr. Tony Jeans, Senior Tutor Mr. Roy Jenkins. The Home Office funding for the Brigade Command Course at the Fire Service College, attended while this investigation was in progress, permitted field research to be conducted in three overseas fire brigades which would otherwise not have been possible. Bradford University Library for granting external reader's rights. Probably most of all, my wife Heather, and our children, David, Karl and Fiona, for their support, and for tolerating the disruption and absences that the project demanded. Kevin Arbuthnot 1995 ii ABSTRACT Key words: Total Quality Management; TQM; Empowerment; Command; Command Organisation; Command Structure. Fire brigades in the UK are currently exploring initiatives aimed at improving "Quality of Service". This has most commonly been in response to challenges presented by the "Citizens Charter", Audit Commission models for quality in service delivery, measurement of performance in service delivery, and, increasingly, budgetary pressures in brigades. Of the routes that are available towards quality improvement, ’’Total Quality Management”, or TQM is one that is gaining in popularity. It is the author's contention that as an organisation, the fire service, like the police, military and other command organisations, is subtly different to commercial, industrial, and most other public sector organisations. For this reason, not all of the models for quality improvement that are offered to the service are either useful or viable, and the resistance to them is not merely a symptom of unwillingness to change. Of the package of concepts embraced by the label TQM, one of the most problematic for the fire service has been that of empowerment. Part of the reason is that empowerment is not well defined in itself. This is not to suggest that the concept is not real, or that it is impossible to apply. There are, however, distinct difficulties with both the concept and its application in the fire service. This is an organisation founded on a hierarchical and bureaucratic structure; discipline and obedience to orders on the fireground are enshrined not only in tradition but also in formal Discipline Regulations. Additional considerations of uniform, rank and a hazardous working environment, against the backdrop of a unionised workforce, central government monitored service delivery standards and local political control, all constitute barriers to the successful implementation of empowerment. The question implicit throughout this investigation is whether empowerment of a workforce, which is structured and conditioned by experience to follow identified leaders, and to operate within strict procedural and organisational constraints, can ever succeed, and whether success would be recognised. Therefore, this dissertation centres on an investigation of the issue of "Empowerment" in the context of a command organisation, against a background of TQM. For the purposes of this investigation the concept of empowerment was examined in detail, and the following iii "working definition" established in the context of a disciplined command organisation: "Empowerment is about giving the authority to make quality improvements to those who have the ability to make them; this must be done within a clear framework of strategy and values, by teams which have the necessary knowledge and ability, and which are managed by well trained, inspirational leaders." The investigation commenced while the author was an employee, at senior officer level, in the West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS). A programme of quality improvement based on TQM was launched in the WMFS in 1993. The work done by its Research and Implementation Teams was considered in detail during this investigation. Further research was undertaken during a funded linked project, which involved research visits to the fire services of Hong Kong, New York, and Phoenix, Arizona. These organisations were chosen for reasons explained in the body of the dissertation, and also because they are comparable to the WMFS in terms of size, risk and operational competence, whilst having very different cultures and managerial styles. A literature review was conducted before the field work was undertaken. The body of literature in this general subject area is considerable. Therefore, the review concentrated on finding areas of clear comparability or contrast between, on the one hand the industrial/ commercial organisation's perspectives and, on the other hand, the command organisation's perspectives. The investigation has revealed that not all commercial and industrial models of empowerment and decentralisation are directly transferable to a uniformed, disciplined and hierarchical public emergency service, like the fire service. To make such models useful, and acceptable to the organisational culture, some interpretation has to take place and limitations have to be identified. A significant problem is that the structure of rewards and sanctions does not relate to performance, and does not impact on the security of the individual's employment. The elements of trust and willingness, at all levels of the organisation, therefore become key. A significant degree of sensitivity to the political, economic, social and other environmental factors, is essential for a full appreciation of these issues. Significant steps toward improved service delivery can be achieved with an