A Systematic Review of Empirical Emergency Management Network Research: Formation and Development, Properties, and Performance

Abstract

Although network analysis has gained much attention in emergency management studies, there are few systematic reviews of emergency management network studies in public administration. After reviewing 44 journals, this article identified and reviewed a total of 58 studies that conducted network analysis in the context of emergency management. Based on existing literature, this article summarizes the common and unique factors driving network formation and development, describes the structural characteristics of emergency management networks, and reports the performance measures that have been used to evaluate network performance. It concludes by addressing research gaps, presenting propositions and recommendations for future research, and highlighting implications for emergency management practice. The context of this review is emergency management, but the three network research streams focused upon—network formation and development, network properties, and network performance—are relevant to all management and policy domains. This review also underscores the need to further explore the dynamic process of network formation and outcomes of network relationships and structures.

Interorganizational networks in response to the critical infrastructure breakdown: case of the 2018 KT network blackout

“…These analyses enable governmental authorities to identify discrepancies in interorganizational interactions between response plans and simulations or exercises. The analyses will help authorities identify governmental agencies crucial for providing critical information and resources for other organizations (Hu et al ., 2022) and assign key roles in response to a CI breakdown or similar hazard event. This process mitigates the confusion arising from disparities between the plans and the actual response, facilitating a timely and effective response to meet the actual incident's needs.…”

“…Emergency management literature suggests that planned interorganizational networks may differ from emergency response networks regarding the composition and prominence of actors (Choi and Brower, 2006;Guo and Kapucu, 2015;Hu et al, 2014Hu et al, , 2022Kapucu and Demiroz, 2011). Previous literature has provided an understanding of networked responses to natural hazard events and terrorism but has offered a limited understanding of interorganizational networks in response to the breakdown of CI.…”

The Multiplexity of Collaborative Networks in Post-Disaster Recovery: Testing Intra-Sector and Cross-Sector Network Contexts

“…Furthermore, their analysis shows that the reciprocity of joint actions and collaborative relationships among multiple organizations will affect disaster response efforts. While network analysis has gained much attention in disaster management studies (Hu et al, 2022), Tang and Wang (2022) show the value of the fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) of nonprofit organizations’ efforts to collaborate in disaster relief. Their analysis shows the power of contextual and intra-alliance conditions in affecting collaboration among nonprofit organizations, thereby offering two configurations that could lead to effective collaboration in disaster response.…”

Driving the effectiveness of public health emergency management strategies through cross-departmental collaboration: Configuration analysis based on 15 cities in China

“…Public health emergency management is a vital area, where governments at all levels pay the most attention and consume the most resources. As a foundational attribute, achieving effective public health emergency responses and management strategies requires secure and stable development environment ( 17 , 35 ). Economic development plays a significant role in achieving enhanced and long-term guarantees for ensuring public health emergency prevention and management.…”