Are sensation seekers in control? A study in crisis preparedness

As a key phase of crisis management (CM), crisis preparedness (CP) constitutes an indispensable process, without which organisations become acutely prone to adverse eventualities. Predicated on a sample of 210 Israeli managers, and the use of hierarchical regression, we explored how locus of control (LoC), impulsive sensation-seeking (ImpSS), leadership styles and femininity affect perceived CP. We found impulsive sensation seekers, typified by external LoC, to be crisis prone and so are transactional leaders as opposed to transformational leaders, who were found to be associated with CP. Contrary to previous research, we found feminine traits to be associated with crisis proneness. Our study contributes to the extant CM research chiefly by highlighting the effect of LoC and ImpSS on perceived CP.