Tough Calls: Shared Priorities and Sector-Specific Decision-Making Challenges Among Senior Leaders in Norway's Emergency Services

This study examines how senior leaders from Norway's police, military, and fire/rescue services perceive factors that hinder effective decision-making during crises. A total of 203 leaders participated in a simulated national emergency exercise conducted at headquarters level. Guided by Yates, Veinott and Patalano's theoretical framework, participants evaluated the influence of seven predefined difficulty categories and ranked them according to their perceived impact on operational decisions. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis tests to compare perceptions across sector affiliation and years of working experience. Findings reveal notable differences among groups, with outcome significance and situational clarity emerging as the most influential factors. Leaders with more years of working experience reported lower process-related difficulty, with these decision-making challenges peaking at mid-career stages rather than declining linearly. Operational factors (outcomes, possibilities, options) consistently outweighed value-based or procedural considerations. The study makes an important contribution to strengthen decision-making frameworks for operational teams and underscore the leadership challenges inherent in collaborative crisis response highlighting the need for tailored training and interagency adaptations.