There are occupations where assessing, running, and even being prepared to take, personal risks form an integral part of the everyday. Such occupations include military personnel, rescue and emergency services, police, and in some situations international humanitarian workers, journalists and others.
Given the societal significance of the tasks performed by these people, understanding how they deal with and are affected by risky environments are important topics. Research relating to such established themes as high-reliability organisation, safety culture and edgework have certainly provided relevant insights. Nevertheless, surprisingly little research has focused on the significance of risk-related perceptions and behaviours at the individual and group level.
This talk outlines some of the challenges involved and discusses these in relation to mainstream risk research and theory. Key issues include recruitment and selection; risk perception and how perceptions may change over time and with experience; motivation and risk-taking; communication of risks; leadership and the balance of taking legitimate risks while maintaining a high level of safety awareness.
Ann Enander is a licensed psychologist and professor of leadership psychology at the Leadership Centre of the Swedish Defence University.
Her research has primarily been concerned with issues of risk perception and communication, stressful and dangerous environments, emergency preparedness and crisis management, civil and military leadership under difficult circumstances. Current projects include a follow-up of longterm societal impacts of the Västmanland wildfire, collaboration within the EU-funded HoNeST nuclear energy project and development work for crisis preparedness at the local and regional level.
Ann is a fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences, and currently government appointed member of the Advisory Monitoring Board of the Swedish Defence Recruitment Agency. She is also a past president of the Society for Risk Analysis Europe.