Master Thesis : "How have key human factors shaped and been shaped by the reformation of fire and rescue services in Belgium over the past decade? In what ways can these insights foster innovation while maintaining critical standard operations, that is, achieving organizational ambidexterity?"

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the first decade of reformation from local, municipal organized fire brigades to emergency rescue zones in Belgium. This analysis, focused on human aspects-management, is employed to give insight into the key factors in people management to become an ambidextrous organization combining both exploitative and explorative activities. The emergency rescue zone South-Western Limburg is chosen as the use-case for the author’s relevance and accessibility of information. Before 2015, fire brigades in Belgium were organized on a municipal level, counting a total of around 250 covering only one or a small number of cities. After the reformation, the direct connection with and integration within the administration of the municipalities disappeared. The 250 local fire departments were seized to 34 emergency rescue zones – all having their own legal entity and responsible for multiple municipalities within their assigned juridical area. Given the reformation’s profound impact on the fire department's organizational structure, a study of the past decade is of particular interest. The specific situation of fire and rescue services, being both public service and high-reliability organizations, offers a unique perspective on the field of organizational ambidexterity. A decade of reformation led to a major change in the landscape of fire and rescue services in Belgium. This research gives opportunities for valuable insights that can be used for further organizational understanding and development. If fire and rescue services want to be prepared for the future challenges lying ahead, one needs to know what key essentials are needed for successfully aiming organizational ambidexterity. A fire and rescue service that innovates while maintaining essential operations.