COVID-19 Crisis management and the Portuguese regional governance: Citizens perceptions as evidence

Pedro Miguel Alves Ribeiro Correia, Sandra Patrícia Marques Pereira, Ireneu de Oliveira Mendes, Inês Subtil

Abstract


ABSTRACT

Purpose: By analyse the Portuguese first COVID-19 wave, this study aims to evaluate the Portuguese citizens’ perceptions on pre-COVID-19 measures, government response during COVID-19 and expectations on the impact of COVID-19 on society.

Methodology: A quantitative approach is used, and the data was collected through questionnaires applied online. Data collection took place between April 23rd and April 30th, 2020. Based on the theoretical Wave Model and using the crisis management COVID-19 structural equation model for the different Portuguese NUTS II regions, an illustrative comparison between different governance outcomes is presented.

Findings: NUTS II do not have the same perceptions on pre-COVID-19 measures, government response during COVID-19 and expectations on the impact of COVID-19 on society. Hypothesis one was statistically confirmed.

Practical implications: Empirically, this study aims to identify inconsistencies in Portuguese citizens’ perceptions on crisis management in order to enable future research to address the topic of public management coordination in multiple levels of governance.

Originality: The analyse considers the differences in perceptions of citizens from different Portuguese Regions, based on the administrative Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics level II (NUTS II), namely, North, Centre, Lisbon, Alentejo, Algarve, Azores Autonomous Region and Madeira Autonomous Region.

Keywords: Regional Governance, Collaborative Governance, Crisis Management, Strategic Planning, Citizens Perceptions.

 


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European Journal of Applied Business and Management

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