Research on cross-organizational emergency collaboration networks based on functional modules: An example of landslide disaster incident in Shuicheng, Guizhou, China

Abstract

The key to rapid and effective emergency response actions is to improve the coordination efficiency of emergency organizations when disasters occur. In order to further explore the collaborative relationship and efficiency between organizations under different emergency support functions, this contribution divides the overall emergency collaboration network, integrating government, market, and society into six modular networks (command and coordination; search and rescue; medical treatment and epidemic prevention; disaster monitoring and assessment; infrastructure and logistic support; information dissemination). Results are based on quantitative analyses of 223 organizational relationship data from government document, situational reports, and news reports. Social network analysis (clique analysis, network structure analysis, centrality analysis, and QAP analysis) is used to investigate the emergency collaboration networks of the Shuicheng landslide incident by conducting UCINET software. First, the collaboration characteristics of different organizations in the overall emergency collaboration network are studied. Second, the network structure and key coordinator differences between the overall and modular emergency collaboration networks are explored. Finally, the modular networks’ influence on the overall emergency collaboration network is investigated. The main findings are as follows: (1) Although many organizations collaborate, governments prefer intra-organizational collaboration rather than cross-organizational collaboration. (2) The key coordinators vary between the overall and modular emergency collaboration networks, with the Emergency Management Ministry as the top coordinator. (4) All modular networks significantly affect the overall emergency collaboration network. Based on the findings, further recommendations are made to develop market and social forces, strengthen trust and communication among different organizations, and promote cooperation among key coordinators. These findings can help improve the cooperation efficiency of emergency organizations and further reduce casualties.