Crisis Management Research Articles

Key issues in Japan's public health centers to prepare for future pandemics: a text mining study using a topic model.

In Japan, over 450 public health centers played a central role in the operation of the local public health system in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify key issues for improving the system for public health centers for future pandemics. We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire. The respondents were first line workers in public health centers or local governments during the pandemic. We solicited open-ended responses concerning improvements needed for future pandemics. Issues were identified from these descriptions using morphological analysis and a topic model with KHcoder3.0. The number of topics was estimated using Perplexity as a measure, and Latent Dirichlet Allocation for meaning identification. We received open-ended responses from 784 (48.6%) of the 1,612 survey respondents, which included 111 physicians, 330 nurses, and 172 administrative staff. Morphological analysis processed these descriptions into 36,632 words. The topic model summarized them into eight issues: 1) establishment of a crisis management system, 2) division of functions among public health centers, prefectures, and medical institutions, 3) clear role distribution in public health center staff, 4) training of specialists, 5) information sharing system (information about infectious diseases and government policies), 6) response to excessive workload (support from other local governments, cooperation within public health centers, and outsourcing), 7) streamlining operations, and 8) balance with regular duties. This study identified key issues that need to be addressed to prepare Japan's public health centers for future pandemics. These findings are vital for discussions aimed at strengthening the public health system based on experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Barriers to Learning From Crisis: A Neglected Aspect of Disaster Risk Reduction in the Tourism SMEs in Sri Lanka

The survival of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is a critical necessity due to their economic and social contributions. Organizational crises, on the other hand, pose a threat to the viability of SMEs. Thus, DRM has become increasingly important in the organizational management of SMEs. As a strategic approach to DRR in organizational context, SMEs need to practice crisis management, particularly need to learn from crises. However, the high crisis vulnerability of SMEs indicates ineffective crisis management on their part, mainly due to failure to learn from crises. Using a social constructivist approach, this phenomenological study attempts to identify the various barriers that hinder the crisis learning of SMEs. An in-depth investigation was conducted with 19 selected tourism SMEs located in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. The results revealed the existence of several crisis learning barriers classified using IPA, namely personal, organizational, and industry level barriers. Among them, the organizational level barriers brought attention to the lack of internal resource integration for crisis management in tourism SMEs. These findings could assist SMEs and stakeholders to identify the corrective measures required to eliminate such learning barriers. They may also help policymakers and supporting organizations in launching their services.

The Effect of Big Data Analytics on Predictive Policing: The Mediation Role of Crisis Management

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of big data analytics (BDA) on predictive policing, particularly examining the mediating role of crisis management in this relationship. Theoretical Framework: The research is anchored in the domain of big data analytics, focusing on its application within law enforcement for enhancing predictive policing capabilities. The study explores how crisis management serves as a linkage between data analytics and predictive policing practices. Method: The study gathered data from 450 individuals working across various police departments in Dubai, utilizing a questionnaire to collect responses. The analytical approach was based on Structural Equation Modeling, conducted using AMOS software. Results and Discussion: Findings from the research indicate that big data analytics significantly boosts predictive policing and crisis management. Importantly, crisis management was identified as a mediating factor between big data analytics and its efficacy in predictive policing. These results suggest that big data analytics not only directly enhances predictive policing but also improves it indirectly through effective crisis management. Research Implications: This study underscores the importance of integrating big data analytics into police operations to advance predictive policing capabilities. It highlights the dual benefits of big data analytics in both direct application and enhancement through crisis management processes. Originality/Value: This research contributes to the limited but growing body of literature on the application of big data analytics in predictive policing. It offers practical guidelines for police forces, especially within the UAE, to better harness big data for improving their operational effectiveness and crisis management strategies. The study also discusses broader implications for both practice and ongoing research in this evolving field.

Developing an integrated framework for risk management in policing: crisis management using big data analytics as a case study

Objective: The study seeks to develop an integrated framework for enhancing risk management and crisis management in policing through the utilization of big data analytics, using the Dubai police force as a case study. Theoretical Framework: This research is grounded in the intersection of big data analytics and risk management within the field of policing, focusing on how data-driven approaches can innovate and improve security crisis management. Method: Data for the study was collected via questionnaires distributed to 450 police officers across all departments in Dubai. The analysis was conducted using AMOS software within a Structural Equation Modeling framework to assess the impact of big data analytics on police risk and crisis management. Results and Discussion: The results indicate that big data analytics significantly enhances risk management and crisis management in policing. It was found that police risk management serves as a mediating factor between big data analytics and security crisis management. These findings suggest that the application of big data can substantially improve knowledge and operational performance in police organizations. Research Implications: The study emphasizes the crucial role of big data analytics in revolutionizing police risk and crisis management processes. It highlights the potential for these technologies to provide substantial improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of police operations. Originality/Value: This research is valuable as it provides empirical evidence of the benefits of big data analytics in the context of policing. It offers practical guidelines to police departments, particularly within the UAE, on leveraging big data to enhance their operational performance in managing risks and crises. The study contributes to the broader understanding of integrating advanced data analytics into public safety and emergency response strategies.

Reconceptualizing Generativity for a New Generation

Recently, the world has experienced multiple pandemics. During these multiple pandemics, including COVID‐19 and a racial reckoning in the United States, leadership has primarily looked like crisis management. As the world continues to evolve, with some looking to return to life as it looked pre‐pandemic and others defining new ways of being, leadership is also changing. As we collectively vision what comes next for generative leadership, it is essential to analyze the shift from crisis management and mere survival to more long‐term visioning and generative leadership practices. With this in mind, the following questions are asked: How do leaders reconceptualize generativity? How are leadership processes grounded in cultures of care, support, and critical hope? How are crisis management and post‐crisis leadership balanced in a world full of multiple complexities? The symposium seeks to explore these questions and more, looking to live in the complexity of reconceptualizing generativity for a new generation.

Earthquake, flood and resilience management through spatial planning, decision and information system

Assessment and planning of crisis management with the natural disasters approach include many components. In this regard, floods and earthquakes are some of the fundamental pillars in this field. With this view, paying attention to the current and future planning and research priorities of the world shows that crisis management in flood-prone and earthquake-prone areas and increasing resilience are the most important priorities for sustainable development studies and planning in the world. The western region of Iran (Lorestan province) has a special place due to the prominent features of flood and seismicity. This study aims to investigate the current situation regarding floods and earthquakes and increase the resilience of settlements with emphasis on the study area. After studying the current structure of flood and earthquake zoning according to multi-factor criteria, zoning was performed based on the integration of GIS and AHP information systems, and at the output of the work, high-risk settlements were determined separately for rural and urban areas with geographical coordinates, and then areas with low, very low, medium, high, and very high resilience were presented separately for rural and urban settlements. Also, after analyzing the SWOT model, strategies to increase the resilience of settlements to floods and earthquakes were presented. The study method of this research and the results, strategies, and operational options presented while being used in the study area are also applicable in other areas.

Evaluating the mismatch between user requirements and existing situation display tools in administrative crisis management

Evaluating the mismatch between user requirements and existing situation display tools in administrative crisis management

Affective Dimensions of Compound Crises in Tourism Economies: The Intermountain Western Gateway Community of Nederland, Colorado

Affective economies align people and places according to identities and emotional capital, particularly during compound crises such as COVID-19. Through an embodied research approach, affect becomes an integral part of furthering knowledge production within crisis management to understand individual and community resilience. This research explores how affective dimensions express individual and community resilience as part of crisis and disaster management of tourism-based economies. We contribute knowledge of sustainable destination management in the context of intermountain western gateway communities (IWGCs) to center residents as primary stakeholders within conservation and resilience planning. The IWGC of Nederland, Colorado, is presented as a microcosm of change through which the lived experiences of residents during COVID-19 are analyzed. This approach embraces the potential of affective scholarship for conservation and destination planning through creative qualitative methods of inquiry. Within a crystallization methodology guided by a feminist new materialist epistemology, we incorporate residents’ creative expressions to understand how affective dynamics influenced resilience throughout compound crises. Findings are presented via three themes including affective dimensions of resilience, identity, belonging and responsibility, and affective tourism economies. Affective knowledge centering resident experiences may inform future planning for crisis and disaster management across IWGCs and other gateway communities balancing tourism, conservation, and community planning.

Social Responsibility and Financial Performance in The Covid-19 era: Support for the Experience of Moroccan SMB

Objective: The objective seems to be to explore the importance of the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a means of crisis management and performance lever allowing companies to withstand current financial and economic shocks. Theoretical Framework: The text mentions the intention to provide a historical overview of CSR, define CSR, financial performance, SMB, the role of SMB on economic growth, and cite organizational theories related to the importance of CSR in times of crisis. This section constitutes the theoretical framework by linking CSR to different economic concepts and organizational theories. Method: this article suggests a theoretical and descriptive approach, analyzing the economic impact of health measures and proposing recommendations, which involves documentary and theoretical analysis. Results and Discussion: The text focuses on presenting the topic and theoretical framework without providing specific results or data analyses. Research Implications: e research aims to highlight the importance of CSR for crisis management and financial performance of companies, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. The implications could concern strategies business, public policy, and managerial theory. Originality/Value: The originality of this research could lie in its analysis of the impact of CSR during the COVID-19 crisis, a relatively new and current topic. The combination of crisis management, financial performance and health measures from the perspective of CSR can constitute an original contribution to the existing literature on the subject.

Religious engagement and antibody response to the COVID-19 vaccine.

This research examined religious engagement and subsequent antibody responses to the COVID-19 vaccine. Using publicly available data from the Understanding Society survey, we employed a longitudinal design. Between January 2016 and May 2018, respondents completed measures of religious belonging, frequency of attending religious services (i.e., extrinsic religiosity), and the difference religion made to their lives (i.e., intrinsic religiosity). A COVID-19 survey wave was collected in March 2021 and measured antibody responses to the COVID-19 vaccine via blood draw. A final sample of 746 adults [462 (61.9%) females, Mage = 61.94, SD = 19.07] was achieved. Mediation analyses (PROCESS, Model 4; Hayes, Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach, The Guildford Press, 2022; Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach; The Guildford Press) revealed one pathway through which religion and antibody responses to the COVID-19 vaccine are associated, namely via extrinsic factors-attendance at religious services. In contrast, intrinsic religious factors which is the difference religion can make to one's life, was not a significant mediator. Overall, this analysis provides evidence that behavioural enactment of religion matters to the effectiveness of vaccination and the management of public health crises. It also highlights the value of social resources associated with engagement in valued social groups-and in particular religious social groups-for public health.

Preparedness shapes tomorrow: crisis preparedness and strategies among SMEs amid external crises

ABSTRACT Prior research on crisis management focuses on crisis strategies used by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), predominately without considering their initial state of preparedness – how these SMEs stepped into the crisis in the first place. This study examines the effects of financial, organizational and cultural crisis preparedness on the strategic choices SMEs make during crises, specifically whether they retrench, persevere, or innovate. Utilizing a unique longitudinal representative dataset of SMEs spanning from 2015 to 2020, we test hypotheses related to the first COVID-19-related lockdown in Denmark. Our findings contribute significantly to the literature by showing that crisis preparedness is critical to SME’s strategic choices during crises. We demonstrate that the nature of SME’s pre-crisis preparedness – across financial, organizational, and cultural dimensions – distinctly shape their during-crisis strategic approach.

The determinants of trump’s defeat: what if the COVID-19 pandemic did not matter?

ABSTRACT While the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the lives of many people worldwide, it is debated whether it led to the defeat of incumbent Donald Trump in the 2020 American presidential election. We argue that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significantly negative impact on Trump’s support due to his conflicting and populist rhetoric, which culminated in contradictory behavior at a time when Americans sought a consistent leader to “rally round the flag.” We use both waves of the ANES 2020 Survey to determine what support for Trump would have looked like if the COVID-19 pandemic had lower influence in citizens’ electoral decision-making compared to real world conditions using regressions and a counterfactual strategy. Our findings suggest that Trump’s electoral defeat depended on multiple factors, with aggregate-level analyzes suggesting that Trump would have received more support had the management of the health crisis mattered less in voting decisions.

Understanding COVID-19 propagation: a comprehensive mathematical model with Caputo fractional derivatives for Thailand

This research introduces a sophisticated mathematical model for understanding the transmission dynamics of COVID-19, incorporating both integer and fractional derivatives. The model undergoes a rigorous analysis, examining equilibrium points, the reproduction number, and feasibility. The application of fixed point theory establishes the existence of a unique solution, demonstrating stability in the model. To derive approximate solutions, the generalized Adams-Bashforth-Moulton method is employed, further enhancing the study's analytical depth. Through a numerical simulation based on Thailand's data, the research delves into the intricacies of COVID-19 transmission, encompassing thorough data analysis and parameter estimation. The study advocates for a holistic approach, recommending a combined strategy of precautionary measures and home remedies, showcasing their substantial impact on pandemic mitigation. This comprehensive investigation significantly contributes to the broader understanding and effective management of the COVID-19 crisis, providing valuable insights for shaping public health strategies and guiding individual actions.

Impact of a Mental Health Screening Process in a Pediatric Emergency Department.

The aim of this study was to describe how specific mental health-trained social workers can assist in the evaluations and follow-up of patients presenting with mental health concerns in the pediatric emergency department (ED). Work was performed at a quaternary children's hospital ED with 95,000 annual ED visits across 2 locations. Patients requiring mental health services identified based on presenting complaint or from universal suicide screen were included. Emergency department team first evaluates the patients for medical screening and then consults a team of social workers specialized in acute mental health screening (AMHS). The team evaluates and provides recommendation for disposition and assists in plan completion. For patients not admitted, AMHS team makes 24- and 48-hour calls to ensure safety. We collected and analyzed the data on all eligible patients from September 2015 through June 2019 for (1) demographic information, (2) trends in number of consults to AMHS, (3) disposition plans and trends by year, and (4) frequency of follow-up phone calls. A total of 5950 patient visits were reviewed, for 4454 distinct patients. Most patients were 12 to 17 years of age, female, and White, with Medicaid being the predominant insurance. The most common chief complaint was suicidal ideation/plan/attempt. Self-referrals were the majority of assessments, and 59% of patients were already receiving mental health services. Median team response time was 19 minutes. There was an upward trend in consults. Psychiatric hospitalization was the most common disposition; more than 95% of the other visits had timely follow-up phone calls. Despite an increasing number of patients presenting to the ED with mental health crisis, safe and efficient management is possible with ED staff-social worker partnership. This approach can ensure that eligible patients receive consistent and evidence-based evaluations and can allow ED clinicians to respond to medical emergencies that require their attention.

Venezuelan migration in South America: coordinating regional responses to a transboundary reception crisis

ABSTRACT Migration is a policy field that is prone to transboundary reception crises due to the weakness of inter-state cooperation and global governance institutions’ incomplete architecture. Research suggests that the regional level is a more realistic policy arena where cooperation to coordinate responses may emerge. Our paper aims to explore and analyse the conditions under which coordinated responses to transboundary reception crises are present in (or absent from) regional migration governance. Below we develop an analytical model based on crisis management scholarship to examine coordination capacities at the regional level. Empirically, we comparatively assess the ability of old regional institutions (i.e. MERCOSUR, the South American Conference of Migration) and new ones (i.e. the Quito Process) to orchestrate responses to receive Venezuelan migrants across the region. Our findings reveal that coordination capacities remain scarce as regional institutions navigate from non-crisis to crisis times. This is largely because there was a shift in policy framing regarding immigrant reception, to self-interested national, regional and extra-regional actors promoting new regional mechanisms, and to the increasing complexity of regional migration governance as (new) competing actors emerge. Our conceptual and empirical contributions provide insights into how governance processes in South America have changed, particularly during crises.

The Impact of Covid-19 on The Skills Matrix in the Hospitality Industry: A Study of Selected Lodges and Hotels in Lusaka District

This study explores the profound impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the skills matrix within the hospitality industry in Lusaka, Zambia. Through a mixed-methods approach involving 49 establishments, the research highlights significant job losses and skills mismatches resulting from the pandemic. It also examines the adaptive strategies employed by the industry to mitigate these effects. The findings advocate for the implementation of continuous skills development programs and strategic workforce planning to enhance industry resilience and sustainability. Recommendations are made for the development of crisis management plans that incorporate skills development, aimed at better preparing the industry for future global crises.

The Cathay Pacific Incident under Public Opinion Monitoring: A Case Study of Discrimination against Mainland Passengers and Public Opinion Leadership

This thesis analyzes the Cathay Pacific Airways incident in depth, and reveals the important role of public opinion monitoring in corporate crisis management in the new media era through a detailed analysis of the background of the incident, the mechanism of public opinion monitoring, and the response of the enterprise, with a view to providing theoretical guidance and inspiration for the practice of public opinion monitoring in the future through an in-depth analysis of the case. Through the revelation and reflection of the incident, the thesis emphasizes the positive impact of public opinion monitoring on corporate information transparency, public relations team building and staff training. The Cathay Pacific incident provides valuable experience for enterprises, emphasizing the importance of strengthening interaction with the public, responding quickly, and building a professional team in crisis management. In the era of new media, the power of public opinion monitoring cannot be ignored. Enterprises need to treat the public opinion environment with prudence and continuously improve their crisis management level in order to ensure sound public relations and sustainable development of the enterprise.

Investigating the indirect impact of transformational leadership on performance and work alienation: evidence from school principals navigating COVID-19

PurposeAlthough significant research has examined the concept of transformational leadership, few studies have explored the indirect impact of transformational leadership on individual and organizational outcomes within the context of crisis. Accordingly, this study aims to advance our understanding of the indirect impact of transformational leadership on school performance and principals' work alienation within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so, this study contributes to this developing stream of literature by hypothesizing the indirect effect of two relational resources, namely employee trust and relational coordination, which mediate the relationship between transformational leadership, school performance and principals' work alienation.Design/methodology/approachThis study draws on a unique sample of 634 principals from Irish primary schools navigating the COVID-19 crisis. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed using Mplus 8.3 to test the hypothesized model.FindingsMixed findings emerged concerning the mediating process of relational resources and their impact on transformational leadership, school performance and principals' work-alienation. In particular, support is found for the critical role of principals whose transformational leadership style can help increase school performance. However, evidence suggests that employee trust does not mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and principals' work alienation.Practical implicationsThis study provides several practical insights for education professionals, policymakers and HRM practitioners across each phase of the crisis management cycle. Firstly, regarding the pre-crisis stage, educational institutions should invest in targeted leadership development programs that prioritize relationship-building and effective communication among stakeholders. Second, during crises, the study emphasizes the role of relational resources in mediating the impact of leadership on school performance. Moreover, the study illustrates the importance of proactively cultivating strong connections with stakeholders, fostering timely, problem-solving-based communication. Finally, in the post-crisis phase, collaboration with government stakeholders is recommended to inform recovery policies.Originality/valueThis study makes several contributions to the literature on leadership and crisis management. First, this study adds new insights suggesting how principals as leaders influence school performance during crisis. Second, by adopting a relational perspective, this study suggests two types of relational resources (i.e. employee trust and relational coordination), as the mediators between transformational leadership, school performance and principals' work alienation. Third, this study moves the existing research on leadership during crisis forward by focusing on the functional effectiveness of leadership while focusing on the principals' work alienation during the pandemic.

Engaging communities as partners in health crisis response: a realist-informed scoping review for research and policy

BackgroundHealth is increasingly affected by multiple types of crises. Community engagement is recognised as being a critical element in successful crisis response, and a number of conceptual frameworks and global guideline documents have been produced. However, little is known about the usefulness of such documents and whether they contain sufficient information to guide effective community engagement in crisis response. We undertake a scoping review to examine the usefulness of conceptual literature and official guidelines on community engagement in crisis response using a realist-informed analysis [exploring contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes(CMOs)]. Specifically, we assess the extent to which sufficient detail is provided on specific health crisis contexts, the range of mechanisms (actions) that are developed and employed to engage communities in crisis response and the outcomes achieved. We also consider the extent of analysis of interactions between the mechanisms and contexts which can explain whether successful outcomes are achieved or not.Scope and findingsWe retained 30 documents from a total of 10,780 initially identified. Our analysis found that available evidence on context, mechanism and outcomes on community engagement in crisis response, or some of their elements, was promising, but few documents provided details on all three and even fewer were able to show evidence of the interactions between these categories, thus leaving gaps in understanding how to successfully engage communities in crisis response to secure impactful outcomes. There is evidence that involving community members in all the steps of response increases community resilience and helps to build trust. Consistent communication with the communities in time of crisis is the key for effective responses and helps to improve health indicators by avoiding preventable deaths.ConclusionsOur analysis confirms the complexity of successful community engagement and the need for strategies that help to deal with this complexity to achieve good health outcomes. Further primary research is needed to answer questions of how and why specific mechanisms, in particular contexts, can lead to positive outcomes, including what works and what does not work and how to measure these processes.

Towards design theory for community collaboration support system during crises: from conceptualisation to validation

ABSTRACT This research conceptualises and validates a design theory for developing Community Collaboration Support Systems (CCSS) to enhance supply chain (SC) resilience during crises. We constructed a knowledge base to derive kernel theories, following the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology. Utilising exploratory and confirmatory focus groups as the primary data collection methods, we refined and validated the proposed CCSS design theory, ensuring its robustness, applicability, and validity. This study not only contributes to the field of information collaborative systems through the theoretical conceptualisation of CCSS theory but also provides practical insights for researchers and practitioners, fostering advancements in crisis management and community collaboration support systems.