Citizens' reactions to global crises: a longitudinal study during the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel.

This paper investigated citizens' reactions to global crises using the COVID-19 pandemic as a natural experiment. Theories in this field are controversial and thus knowledge on such reactions, their evolution, drivers, and consequences is limited. Building on several socio-psychological foundations such as trust building theories, the fear appeal theory, the theory of planned behavior, and the spillover theory, we explain developments in three major human responses: (1) perceptual and attitudinal responses such as trust in governance and interpersonal trust; (2) emotional responses such as fear of crises; and (3) behavioral responses such as civic engagement. Using a longitudinal design, we tracked the attitudes and behaviors of Israeli citizens over 22 months (7/2019-3/2021) and at four points in time (t1-t4). Findings are based on a time-lagged analysis of 3527 participants (n1 = 602; n2 = 750; n3 = 970; n4 = 1205), and a more focused analysis of panel data (n1-4 = 256). In accordance with our theoretical foundations and specific models, we revealed a reaction pattern of shock→recognition→adjustment→reframing. We maintain that our findings improve understanding of citizens' reactions to government policies. They provide unique empirical evidence for resilience among citizens and across social structures which testify to bouncing-back capacities from global crises in various ways. Its lessons may thus direct future studies on the relationship between citizens and governments in other global crises and emergencies. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43545-023-00610-0.

Compliance with government policies during emergencies: Trust, participation and protective actions

When and why do citizens comply with government policies and restrictions during emergencies? We investigate possible answers to this question. We propose a mediation model where trust in government and emergency organizations as well as perceived government effectiveness mediate the relationships between participation in decision making and the willingness to comply. We also utilize the protective action decision‐making model where perceptions about protective actions and threats can add to the explanation. Using a national survey distributed to a representative sample of the Israeli population during the wake of a second wave of the spread of Covid‐19, we found that the willingness to comply during emergencies is related to these research variables. Participation in decision‐making appears to be the main variable, but it is negatively related to the willingness to comply. We conclude that the public sector should develop and improve communication and participatory mechanisms with citizens specifically for emergencies. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Governance is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Battling COVID-19: Public Personnel Management, Trust, and Social Resilience During a Global Crisis

We present three studies that examine the relationship between perceptions about public personnel management and social resilience during a crisis among frontline public healthcare servants who battled the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on theories of public personnel management, crisis management, trust, and resilience, we suggest a model and hypotheses that may extend our knowledge about perceived social resilience, both internal (organizational) and external (communal and national). We tested our model with the results of an online survey conducted in early 2021 among 437 healthcare employees from the Ministry of Health (n1?=?87), hospitals (n2?=?200), and Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs;n3?=?150) across Israel. The findings generally support direct and indirect relationships between perceptions of good public personnel management, defined as healthcare system resilience, participation in decision-making and information sharing, and group-level organizational citizenship behavior, and perceived national and community resilience, and trust. Implications, extensions, and recommendations for future theoretical and empirical studies are discussed along with practical proposals.

Employability and training: public attitudes, the labour market and vocational training policies

One of the main challenges in modern labour markets is to improve the mobility and employability of workers among workplaces, jobs and roles. This paper explores the factors that might influence people’s beliefs about and attitudes towards the mechanisms for improving employability through training. We develop a research model and test it in Israel using surveys that were distributed at two points in time – before and during an acute crisis in the labour market – the Covid-19 pandemic. Perceptions about personal mobility and employability and prior educational experience play a major role in explaining citizens’ attitudes towards training. Beliefs about the effectiveness of government training providers as well as employment security are relatively marginal in explaining the demand for training. Policy implications follow. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Vocational Education & Training is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Roundtable: The COVID-19 Pandemic in Israel

As in other countries, COVID-19 hit Israel like a bolt of lightning—unexpected, sudden, and powerful. And, like others, Israel was woefully unprepared for what would follow. The first cases came to light in the last week of February 2020, and by March and April the country was in full-scale crisis mode. In the end, almost one in ten people came down with the virus and more than 8,000 died, more than in any war that Israel has fought. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Israel Studies Review is the property of Berghahn Books and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

How Well Do They Manage a Crisis? The Government's Effectiveness During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic clearly highlighted the importance of effective crisis management and its relationship with citizens' willingness to cooperate with the government in such turbulent times. We develop a theory and hypotheses about the impact of citizens' experiences on their perceptions of the government's effectiveness during times of crisis. We do so with data collected at two points in time: in late March 2020 during the first peak of the COVID-19 crisis in Israel, and in October 2020 when Israel was exiting from a second lockdown. The findings demonstrate that during crises citizens focus on the short term and seek immediate results in terms of readiness and preparedness. During such times, the government's responsiveness and transparency, as well as the public's participation in decisions, seem even more important than their trust in the government. Implications and practical recommendations follow.