Inter-organizational coordination in extreme events: The World Trade Center attacks, September 11, 2001

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem of inter-organizational coordination in response to extreme events. Extreme events require coordinated action among multiple actors across many jurisdictions under conditions of urgent stress, heavy demand and tight time constraints. The problem is socio-technical in that the capacity for inter-organizational coordination depends upon the technical structure and performance of the information systems that support decision making among the participating organizations. Interactions among human managers, computers and organizations under suddenly altered conditions of operation are complex and not well understood. Yet, coordinating response operations to extreme events is an extraordinarily complex task for public and nonprofit managers. This paper will analyze the interactions among public, private and nonprofit organizations that evolved in response to the 11 September 2001 attacks, examining the relationships among organizations in terms of timely access to information and types of supporting infrastructure.The performance of the inter-organizational system is examined in the context of the events of 11 September 2001 from the theoretical perspective of complex adaptive systems. A model of auto-adaptation is proposed for implementation to improve interorganizational performance in extreme events. This model is based on the concept of individual, organizational and collective learning in environments exposed to recurring risk, guided by a shared goal. Such a model requires public investment in the development of an information infrastructure that can support the intense demand for communication, information search, exchange and feedback that characterizes an auto-adaptive system.

Transforming temporary organizations to permanence: Examining the role of information systems

“…All of these activities are project-based and primarily temporary in nature (except activities like disaster preparedness). Disaster management operations are information intensive activities [4] due to the high uncertainty [1] and complex information needs [3] of many stakeholders simultaneously [6]. Timely and accurate processing of crisis information and effective communication are critical elements of disaster relief operations [20].…”

The connection between long-term and short-term risk management strategies for flood and landslide hazards: examples from land-use planning and emergency management in four European case studies

“…The benefit of strengthening this connection is especially pertinent for the nature of the threats caused by multiple and sudden onset hazards such as flash floods and landslides, as dealt with in the CHANGES project. Therefore, the need for continuous adaptation to complex and unforeseen environments requires enhancing the links between planning and emergency preparedness while acknowledging the roles, needs and values of the involved parties (Comfort and Kapucu, 2006;Garcia and Fearnley, 2012). This integrated approach can have strong implications both in longterm and short-term perspectives to strengthen the resilience of a community before, during and after a disaster strikes.…”

“…Overall, emergency management requires fast or near-real-time provision and absorption of information for hazard and vulnerability identification. Communication is based upon the coordination of different organizations such as government agencies, local administrations, nongovernmental and volunteer forces (Comfort and Kapucu, 2006;De Leoni et al, 2007), in which local volunteers and crisis management teams are often the first responders (Fischer, 2008). Despite the short-term focus, emergency activities comprise all four stages of the DRM cycle (Lindell, 2013).…”

Maritime Operations and Emergency Preparedness in the Arctic–Competence Standards for Search and Rescue Operations Contingencies in Polar Waters

“…Communication may already be compulsory due to pre-existing control mechanisms (Mintzberg 2009). Yet, aspects such as lack of trust due to cultural or political reasons or different language, be it due to different standards in different institutions or different nationalities, may be critical aspects of communication (Comfort and Kapucu 2006;Kapucu 2005;Robinson et al 2015). In a case study of a SAR-exercise focusing on shared situational awareness and communication, Seppänen et al (2013) A study by Ghosh and Rubly (2015) supports the importance of the Polar Code, pointing out that emergency management personnel including the on-scene staff such as captains, officers and crew, need to understand and be able to handle potential hazards and risks.…”