Radical and Swift Adaptive Organizing in Response to Unexpected Events: Military Relief Operations after Hurricane Dorian

Abstract

The relief operations by a military task force in response to Hurricane Dorian presented an empirical puzzle. The task force adapted in a radical and swift way after arrival in the disaster-struck area. Within just a few days, it hardly resembled the organization that had set out to provide relief. The nature and speed of this adaptation could not be explained by the existing literature. Thus, I pose the question: How does radical and swift adaptive organizing in response to unexpected events unfold? The study builds on 31 interviews and rich visual data, consisting of 711 photographs and 12 videos, to shed more light on this process. The main discovery in this paper is that frontline personnel swiftly deconstructed and reconstructed key elements of the organizational structure, producing radical changes in authority, plans, safety standards, routines, and ties. The interim organizational response structure that emerged from this process enabled successful relief operations. The paper contributes to the coordination literature and research on temporary organizations. It also highlights the insights that visual data can provide into processes unfolding in extreme contexts.