Inter-organizational disaster management projects: Finding the middle way between trust and control

Abstract

This article studies disaster response and recovery operations from a project management perspective. In disaster response and recovery projects, characterized by uncertainty and time pressure, inter-organizational collaboration among disaster management organizations is essential. Trust and control are viewed as core aspects for building confidence among collaboration partners. This article sheds more light on this trust-control nexus by studying inter-organizational disaster response and recovery in the Netherlands. On the basis of documents and interviews, the roles of trust and control in the relations between the Dutch armed forces and traditional responders are examined. Findings suggest that trust and control are complementary and mutually reinforcing, while both concepts require multi-level studies to distinguish between inter-personal and inter-organizational trust and control. As a link between the trust-control nexus and power comes to the fore, future research is recommended to focus on the importance of organizational interests and power in post-disaster collaboration efforts.