We have witnessed in the case study Singapore’s all-hazard management
framework with specific references to the SARS epidemic. In fighting SARS,
Singapore’s health authority was responsive enough to swing into action when they
realized that the existing bureaucratic structure was inadequate in terms of
facilitating close cooperation between various key government agencies to tackle the
health crisis on hand. Therefore, a command structure was swiftly established. The
presence of a flexible command structure, the way and the extent it was utilized,
explains how well an epidemic was successfully contained. Flexibility actually
enhanced organizational capacities by making organizations more efficient under
certain conditions.