Professionals' perspectives: exploring the occupational and organizational psychology of community-agency interactions in forest fire management

Researchers exploring the challenges of public intolerance for forest fires in the US predominantly focus on nonmanagers. Forest fire managers have unique perspectives on public perceptions and attitudes towards forest firesbecausemanagersfrequentlyinteractdirectlywiththepublicandarethefaceoftheinstitutionsthatprescribe fire management practicestowhich the public reacts. Therefore, managers’ perspectives deserve more empirical attention. Additionally, a recent review of social science research on wildfire management suggested a need for better understanding of the organizational dimensions of forest fire management. For this study, interviews were used to explore how fire management professionals understand and explain public attitudes towards forest fires and smoke. Interviewees suggested that community‐forest dependence and community‐agency interactions shape public perceptions and attitudes. Interviewees elaborated on how professionals’ personality andperceivedorganizationalobstructionunderminecommunity‐agencyinteractions,provokeunfavourableattitudes towards the agency and fire management practices and ultimately, interfere with the accomplishment of fire management objectives. These findings suggest that, to better understand and more effectively manage public attitudes towards forest fires, we need to paydue attention to the occupational and organizational psychologyoffiremanagementprofessionalsandinstitutions.Organizationalambidexterity,theinwardlookingprocess necessary for organizational effectiveness, could enhance community‐agency relations, favourable attitudes towards forest fires and achievement of fire management objectives.