Can you hear me now? Using importance- performance analysis to gauge US forest service employee satisfaction with handheld radios

Abstract

Due to the remote nature of their work, many Forest Service (FS) employees rely on handheld radios to communicate in the field. Effective communication among field employees and dispatchers mitigates job-related risks and improves outcomes in emergency situations. Hence, employee perceptions of the functionality of handheld radios are imperative to safely executing many jobs within the Forest Service. With this in mind, both Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) and a modified method called Radial Importance Performance Analysis (RIPA) were used to gauge 6,530 FS employees' perceptions of 12 salient handheld radio attributes. Results revealed that among fire (n = 1,615) and non-fire respondents (n = 4,915), there was consensus that reception and signal needed improvement. Differences in quadrant placement emerged for reliability, clarity of calls, and battery life between fire and non-fire respondents. Managerial implications and the applicability of IPA and RIPA to other land management agencies are discussed.