Crisis Management Research Articles

Signals of Transition in Support Systems: A Study of the use of Social Media Analytics in Crisis Management

In crisis informatics, little attention is placed on how transitions occur between periods of crisis and non-crisis. The analysis of transition behaviors in public organizations could help in understanding the duality between the need for continuity of services provided to the community, and the cyclical nature of risk and crisis management. This study uniquely highlights the transitions occurring when organizations need to stop day-to-day activities to focus on responding to a crisis while continuing to provide services to their communities. We focus on the use of social media analytics as a support system to study transitions and, with the objective to gain an insight into how sociotechnical systems navigate through periods of crisis and non-crisis, we leverage individual experiences of use of social media as a source of information in public service organizations and developers of social media analytics support tools. In doing so, we employed a process study approach, conducted semi-structured interviews, and used thematic analysis to trace patterns of transitions between crisis and non-crisis states. Furthermore, we formulate five signals that public organizations exhibit to illustrate and guide organizational transition behaviors. The main contribution of this study is the explanation and conceptualization of how transitions happen by framing social media as a support information system. In addition, we highlight the return to a new steady state, an overlooked area of organizational transitions and continuity. Our study will help streamline processes of continuity in organizations and inspires the design and improvement of current and future support systems. Future research could apply and extend our propositions to other support systems such as geospatial technologies, robots, and even artificial intelligence.

Multi-modal deep learning framework for damage detection in social media posts.

In crisis management, quickly identifying and helping affected individuals is key, especially when there is limited information about the survivors' conditions. Traditional emergency systems often face issues with reachability and handling large volumes of requests. Social media has become crucial in disaster response, providing important information and aiding in rescues when standard communication systems fail. Due to the large amount of data generated on social media during emergencies, there is a need for automated systems to process this information effectively and help improve emergency responses, potentially saving lives. Therefore, accurately understanding visual scenes and their meanings is important for identifying damage and obtaining useful information. Our research introduces a framework for detecting damage in social media posts, combining the Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) architecture with advanced convolutional processing. This framework includes a BERT-based network for analyzing text and multiple convolutional neural network blocks for processing images. The results show that this combination is very effective, outperforming existing methods in accuracy, recall, and F1 score. In the future, this method could be enhanced by including more types of information, such as human voices or background sounds, to improve its prediction efficiency.

The Theory of Gradual Landing of Public Opinion During Crises

Public opinion is under consideration not only in the media but also in other fields, such as political science, social studies, and psychology, especially with the growing crises affecting institutions and countries during the 20th and 21st centuries. It is noticeable that there are few theories that explain many of the phenomena associated with public opinion, especially in the era of modern communication technologies and social media. This gap necessitated the development of a theory of gradual landing in public opinion during crises. This theory was developed by reviewing extensive literature on public opinion, crisis management, and media theory related to public opinion. The theory deals with four major variables: event, media, audience, and the parties involved in the conflict or crisis. These variables encompass the mechanisms that determine the paths on the rise and decline of public opinion issues. This theory integrates the degree of the significance of the topic and the media's interest. This theory helps identify various cases of rise and decline in the level of interest in public opinion within society.

Prevention and management of hypertensive crises in children with pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.

Hypertensive crises in pediatric patients are rare conditions. However, determining their precise prevalence is more challenging than in adults due to the heterogeneity in the definition itself. These crises frequently occur without a prior diagnosis of hypertension and may indicate an underlying cause of secondary hypertension, including pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PPGL). The mechanisms of hypertensive crises in the pediatric population with PPGL are directly related to different types of catecholamine excess. Noradrenergic tumors typically present with sustained hypertension due to their predominant action on α1-adrenoceptors in the vasculature. Conversely, adrenergic tumors, through epinephrine binding to β2-adrenoceptors in addition to stimulation of α1- and α2-adrenoceptors, more frequently cause paroxysmal hypertension. Furthermore, the biochemical phenotype also reflects the tumor localization and the presence of a genetic mutation. Recent evidence suggests that more than 80% of PPGL in pediatric cases have a hereditary background. PPGL susceptibility mutations are categorized into three clusters; mutations in cluster 1 are more frequently associated with a noradrenergic phenotype, whereas those in cluster 2 are associated with an adrenergic phenotype. Consequently, the treatment of hypertensive crises in pediatric patients with PPGL, reflecting the underlying pathophysiology, requires first-line therapy with alpha-blockers, potentially in combination with beta-blockers only in the case of tachyarrhythmia after adequate alpha-blockade. The route of administration for treatment depends on the context, such as intraoperative or pre-surgical settings, and whether it presents as a hypertensive emergency (elevated blood pressure with acute target organ damage), where intravenous administration of antihypertensive drugs is mandatory. Conversely, in cases of hypertensive urgency, if children can tolerate oral therapy, intravenous administration may initially be avoided. However, managing these cases is complex and requires careful consideration of the selection and timing of therapy administration, particularly in pediatric patients. Therefore, facing these conditions in tertiary care centers through interdisciplinary collaboration is advisable to optimize therapeutic outcomes.

Looking into Themselves. Women Documenting Wars and Their Aftermath

Throughout the twentieth century, several women artists have photographically interpreted not only the destruction during World War II, the Yugoslav Wars of the first half of the 1990s, and/or their aftermaths, but other types of crises since the period of World War I as well. These interpretations warrant discussion in the context of a more comprehensive representation of the women’s gaze. By creating private photo albums at the beginning of the century, capturing life in internment camps and depicting the everyday aspects of existence during World War II, and extending into contemporary re-evaluations of politics and memory production influenced by the breakup of Yugoslavia, women artists chronicle the wartime reality and its consequences, which is in stark contrast to the prevailing belief that women often operated within the safety of their comfort zone. Through their photographic practice, they illuminate the gaps in history and the effects of fabricating certain segments of it, and respond by capturing images that transition from private, intimate settings to public discourse.

Fostering healthy outcomes in hotels: The effects of healthy organizational resources on employees’ stress reduction, resilience, and task performance

This study aims to learn from past global health crises, encouraging industry leaders worldwide to take proactive steps in implementing extra health and safety measures for future potential crises. The research employs a quantitative approach to investigate a proposed model suggesting that hotel employees’ adherence to health and safety regulations is contingent on the availability of supportive organizational resources. An electronic questionnaire was administered to hotel employees in Egypt, resulting in 213 valid responses. The data was analyzed using SPSS 25 and AMOS 24. The findings indicate a strong connection between health and safety training, health and safety resources, and health and safety compliance. Additionally, the results reveal direct and significant links between health and safety compliance, stress reduction, improved employee resilience, and enhanced task performance. Moreover, significant indirect effects were found between health and safety training, health and safety resources, and healthy organizational outcomes, with health and safety compliance serving as a mediator. The current study provides a valuable theoretical and practical contribution on employee motivation to comply with health standards, employee-organization interactions, resilience, and crisis management to better prepare for future health crises.

Born Out of Crisis, Revels in Turmoil: Iran’s Islamic Republic at Home and Abroad

ABSTRACT Iran’s Islamic Republic regime is adept at functioning amidst turmoil. In Triumph and Despair, Mehran Kamrava shows how structural bifurcation, parallel institutions, and fluid political factions are enduring sources of tension within an already hybrid political system. Far from being a handicap, the regime uses internal friction to deflect blame from its shortcomings and to sow confusion among opponents. Nor does it recoil from domestic turmoil, with crisis management increasingly a strategy of choice to compensate for its diminishing legitimacy and failures in governance. Abroad, too, the Islamic Republic seems to revel in geopolitical upheaval in pursuit of overturning the Middle Eastern security architecture. Relying on non-state affiliates as deterrents and power multipliers, it is opportunistic in ensnaring adversaries in proxy conflicts, or exploiting their entanglements, while minimizing the risk of direct confrontation with itself. In Reading Revolutionary Iran, Ze’ev Maghen explains the strategic culture behind the regime’s ambitions.

Religious Responses to Agricultural Crises: Exploring the Diverse Patterns in Garut, Indonesia

This study explores the critical role of religious patterns in shaping responses to agricultural crises, specifically focusing on the failure of the strawberry harvest in Barudua Village, Garut, West Java. The research employs a qualitative case study approach, examining three distinct sub-villages, each with unique religious practices: exclusive-protective, participatory, and progressive. Through interviews, observations, and thematic analysis, the study reveals how these religious patterns influence the community's resilience and adaptability in the face of crisis. The findings indicate that while exclusive-protective patterns tend to foster passivity, participatory and progressive patterns encourage community engagement, innovation, and social cohesion. These results suggest that integrating religious perspectives into agricultural crisis management can enhance community resilience and offer sustainable solutions. This research provides practical insights for policymakers and community leaders, empowering them to develop culturally sensitive and effective strategies for managing agricultural challenges.

Role and benefits of infectious diseases specialists in the COVID-19 pandemic: Multilevel analysis of care provision in German hospitals using data from the Lean European Open Survey on SARS-CoV-2 infected patients (LEOSS) cohort.

This study investigates the care provision and the role of infectious disease (ID) specialists during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A survey was conducted at German study sites participating in the Lean European Open Survey on SARS-CoV-2 infected patients (LEOSS). Hospitals certified by the German Society of Infectious diseases (DGI) were identified as ID centers. We compared care provision and the involvement of ID specialists between ID and non-ID hospitals. Then we applied a multivariable regression model to analyse how clinical ID care influenced the mortality of COVID-19 patients in the LEOSS cohort. Of the 40 participating hospitals in the study, 35% (14/40) were identified as ID centers. Among those, clinical ID care structures were more commonly established, and ID specialists were always involved in pandemic management and the care of COVID-19 patients. Overall, 68% (27/40) of the hospitals involved ID specialists in the crisis management team, 78% (31/40) in normal inpatient care, and 80% (28/35) in intensive care. Multivariable analysis revealed that COVID-19 patients in ID centers had a lower mortality risk compared to those in non-ID centers (odds ratio: 0.61 (95% CI 0.40-0.93), p = 0.021). ID specialists played a crucial role in pandemic management and inpatient care.

Crisis Management in Socio-Economic Systems in the Context of Digitalization Using the Example of a “Smart City”

Crisis Management in Socio-Economic Systems in the Context of Digitalization Using the Example of a “Smart City”

Compound crisis communication and household preparedness: Examining the effects of evidence type and crisis message fatigue

AbstractWhile existing crisis management research primarily approaches crisis communication from a single‐event perspective, this study provides initial evidence for communication about compound crises. To this purpose, we conducted a nationally representative survey experiment among U.S. residents (N = 670) to examine the effects of communication about compound crisis events on message fatigue and household preparedness. The study did not find support for the negative effects of communication about compound crises on message‐induced crisis fatigue and household preparedness intention. An additional analysis revealed that effects of the messages about compound crisis events are contingent upon the participants' level of past crisis experience, past crisis preparedness, accumulated fatigue from previous crises, and the type of evidence presented. Our findings revealed that individuals with higher past crisis experience exhibited higher crisis message fatigue and greater household preparedness intention. However, caution is warranted when interpreting these findings. The respondents' perceived distinction between compound and single crisis preparedness lacked conceptual clarity, possibly due to the ongoing influence of the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Exploring post-registration nursing students' perceptions and learning experiences of peer-led simulation: A qualitative study

BackgroundIn nursing education, often dominated by instructor-led simulations (ILS), there is a growing demand to explore alternative approaches, such as peer-led simulation (PLS), in the training of post-registration nursing students. PLS shifts learners into leadership roles, fostering scenario design and facilitation among peers. Despite existing literature on ILS versus PLS, there remains a gap in the effectiveness of combined PLS and ILS for post-registration nursing students. This study aims to investigate the factors influencing the learning experience of post-registration nursing students and their perceptions of PLS as an instructional strategy. MethodsThis qualitative study was implemented from October 2022 to April 2023. The entire student cohorts (n = 20) were recruited from the Advanced Diploma in Nursing (Peri-anaesthesia) programme. The students underwent both ILS (14h) and PLS (11h) as part of the mandatory activities within a 60-h module on “Crisis Management in Anaesthesia”. Three semi-structured focus group discussions (FGDs) with 16 participants were conducted. The FGDs were guided by six questions on students learning experiences that were validated using the Delphi method. ResultsThe thematic analysis revealed four major themes concerning their learning experiences: the learning journey, enablers, barriers and perceived benefits of including PLS. Among the enablers, one notable finding was learners' appreciation for their ability to apply evidence-based practice (EBP) principles, which played a significant role in achieving conceptual fidelity in their developed scenarios. ConclusionThe qualitative findings underscore the importance of PLS in fostering dynamic learning environments, vital for educators across disciplines. By actively participating in scenario design and facilitation, students enhance their understanding of theoretical concepts and clinical competency. PLS implementation provides insights into students' learning needs and challenges, benefiting educators in refining teaching strategies and enhancing educational effectiveness.

A Fundamental and Technical Analysis of the US and Chinese Stock Markets

This paper provides a comprehensive comparison between the stock markets of the United States and China, the two largest economies globally. The study examines key aspects such as market mechanisms, investor strategies, and market efficiencies. The U.S. stock market, characterized by its large market capitalization and robust growth, operates through dealer and auction market mechanisms with a strong regulatory framework and high openness to foreign investors. In contrast, the Chinese stock market, having developed more recently, primarily uses auction market mechanisms and imposes daily price limits to manage volatility. Historical developments show the U.S. market's long history of financial development and crisis management, while China's market has seen rapid development since economic reforms began in 1978. The analysis of market efficiency through fundamental and technical analysis reveals that the U.S. market more effectively reflects company performance in stock prices compared to the Chinese market, which still shows areas for potential improvement. This comparison highlights the distinct characteristics and developmental paths of the U.S. and Chinese stock markets, providing valuable insights for investors and policymakers in understanding the differences and guiding future market development and investment strategies.

Crisis Management in Public Administration Units in Poland and Czech Republic. International Comparative Analysis

Crisis Management in Public Administration Units in Poland and Czech Republic. International Comparative Analysis

Biotechnology and crisis management developments during the COVID-19 pandemic: Comprehensive analysis

Over the period from 2020 to 2023, a four-year non-military battle drew to a close, marking the end of the COVID-19 pandemic that will be etched into history. During this time frame, policies and technologies aimed at combating the virus were developed, ultimately saving numerous lives and enhancing people's efficacy in battling the virus while demonstrating unwavering determination. However, some less mature biological nucleic acid technologies and some controversial policy bases are still being improved. Through the development of biotechnology levels and policies, the research and development of three mRNA vaccines, health codes and RT-PCR nucleic acid detection methods have greatly improved the efficiency of epidemic prevention and control. The government's policy of controlling speech and behavior at the initial stage of the outbreak brought people together to fight against the virus. These technologies are being researched to reduce the number of casualties and minimize losses. For example, circRNA or saRNA vaccines are still in the research stage. If these more advanced techniques are put into use, it will undoubtedly greatly increase the means of fighting against the virus. This is also the direction and key for future research and development.

The impact of new millennium crises on the power of Islamic banks in deposit markets

AbstractWe investigate the impact of three crises on the power of Islamic banks in deposit markets: the Global Financial Crisis, 2007–2009 (GFC), the Arab Spring political crisis, 2011–2013, and the COVID‐19 health crisis, 2020–2022. Applying difference‐in‐difference (DID) and GMM techniques to panel data for 2004–2022, we find that the power of Islamic banks increased in countries most affected by the GFC, but only for oil‐exporters, as elevated oil prices inflated deposited liquidity. In contrast to the GFC, the market power of countries highly affected by the Arab Spring decreased as depositors withdrew en masse. For these countries, oil export status was irrelevant, and whilst government integrity is significant, it accounts for a small amount of heterogeneity in the country‐level cross‐section due to widely held public attitudes towards institutions during the crisis. For COVID‐19, the market power of Islamic banks initially increased at the outset of the pandemic due to a surge in precautionary deposits, but later decreased due to economic activity constraints. The stringency of lockdowns had little effect on market power in countries that suffered the highest COVID‐19 death rates. These and other findings specific to each crisis provide a rich array of private and public policy implications relevant to crises of different types for bank liquidity crisis management, financial conduct policies, and state‐backed lending stimulus packages.

Post Crisis Communication Strategies Used in Crises Preparedness in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry in Naivasha Sub-County

Purpose: This study sought to evaluate the post-crisis communication strategies used in crises preparedness in the tourism and hospitality industry in Naivasha Sub-County in Nakuru County of Kenya. Methodology: Mixed research methodology was used in the study, particularly the dominant-less dominant parallel/simultaneous (QUAL + quan) design. A quantitative sample of 362 and a qualitative sample of the key informants was drawn from a population of 1092 employees using the multi-stage and purposive sampling techniques, respectively. The instruments of data collection were questionnaires for survey of the 362 respondents and interview guides for the key informant interviews. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze quantitative data and were subjected to regression analysis using SPSS software whereas qualitative data was analyzed thematically. Findings: The study found that various post-crisis communication strategies were used in crises preparedness in tourism and hospitality industry on Naivasha subcounty. A communication strategy that emphasizes protection of the reputation of the organization was popular among a larger portion of the respondents 60% (n=177). The study also revealed that as a post-crisis communication strategy, the management in the hotels was keen to give information that focuses on coping psychologically with a crisis situation. The hotels also ensured that keeping the image of the hotels through communication strategies would enhance crises preparedness. The findings in post-crisis communication strategies included the messaging that focuses more on rebuilding of the organization’s profitability. This was found to be strongly and positively associated with restoration of the hotel’s image (r=.610). Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The situational crisis communication theory guided the study. The study recommends that the Cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Tourism develop policies that spell and guide crisis management plans that acknowledge effective crisis communication strategies in hotels in the country. This study findings will inform academia and be a base for scholars in mass communication in carrying out further studies in communicative strategies used in crises preparedness. The study will also inform the hotel and hospitality management on the importance of allocating adequate resources on communicative strategies to be prepared for crises.

Leveraging NLP for crisis communication management: A case study of news media analysis of the COVID‐19 pandemic in two Nordic countries

AbstractThe news media plays a vital role in influencing public perceptions about topics, issues and crises. They also act as important intermediaries between organizations and public, enabling organizations to shape how people think about crisis topics and actors. Monitoring news coverage and assessing the news media's agenda‐setting role in a crisis can help organizations respond more effectively to emerging situations. When crises are prolonged and affect many countries, media analysis can become a tedious task for crisis managers. This study demonstrates how natural language processing (NLP) methods can be utilized in news media analysis of crisis situations, such as an extended cross‐national pandemic. Specifically, it demonstrates the possibilities of using NLP to identify and compare the salience of diverse crisis topics and how the media treat these topics and crisis actors (first‐ and second‐level agenda‐setting) across countries, news outlets, and time. The COVID‐19 pandemic serves as an illustrative case study to showcase the application of NLP techniques to provide insights into public perceptions of a major health crisis shaped by the news media in two Nordic countries (Finland and Sweden). Findings show the suitability of NLP methods to detect nuanced differences in news media coverage and offer relevant knowledge of how public perceptions and responsibility attribution fluctuate across time and countries.

Management Strategies for Hypertensive Crisis: A Systematic Review.

A hypertensive crisis is defined as a sudden and significant rise in blood pressure. The blood pressure reading is 180/120 mmHg or higher. A hypertensive crisis is a medical emergency. It can lead to a heart attack, stroke, or other life-threatening medical problems. Investigating the management of the hypertensive crisis was the goal of this study. English-language articles were collected from 2010 to 2024 demonstrating the management of the hypertensive crisis. Overall, there were 15 articles. Surveys and analyses of national databases were the most widely used methods (n=15). The scientific studies documented (1) all investigative studies or reports that included a hypertensive crisis diagnosis, (2) data integrity and reproducibility, and (3) management studies.Other studies show that acute severe hypertension in the hospital is associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity, particularly with new or worsening end-organ damage. The problem is linked to poor medical adherence, but alarmingly low follow-up rates are likely to contribute to a high recurrence rate. The treatment of acute severe hypertension varies according to the hospital unit (medical ward or intensive care unit), medication, and blood pressure targets or thresholds. Because of a lack of evidence-based guidance, arbitrary blood pressure control targets are used, or blood pressure targets are crudely extrapolated from guidelines intended primarily for outpatient management. Patients with acute aortic dissection need to be administered intravenous esmolol within 5 to 10 minutes in order to lower their blood pressure right away. The goal is to maintain a systolic reading of less than 120 mm Hg. Vasodilators such as nitroglycerin or nitroprusside may be administered if the blood pressure persists following beta blocking. Intravenous administration of clevidipine, nicardipine, or phentolamine is required; the initial dose is 5 mg, with subsequent doses given every 10 minutes as necessary to achieve the desired reduction in blood pressure.

Qualitative comparative analysis of policies implemented by 26 European countries during the 2020 great lockdown.

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, from March 1 to April 15, 2020, significant variations emerged among countries regarding the implementation of lockdown policies. During this period, viewed strictly from an epidemiological perspective, lockdown measures are considered the most effective means of containing a pandemic. However, the adoption of such measures varied, raising questions about whether the reluctance or failure of countries to implement lockdown policies reflected a disregard for epidemiological knowledge or stemmed from an inability to enforce these measures. This article employs Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) with 26 European countries as case studies to investigate under what combination of conditions a country would implement lockdown policies. The QCA results identify three distinct combinations of conditions that lead countries to implement lockdown measures. First, countries with relatively concentrated political power are more likely to implement lockdown policies. Among the 10 countries governed by a majority party or majority coalition within a two-party or moderate multi-party system, seven implemented lockdown policies. Second, in cases of relatively dispersed political power, countries facing state fragility risks are more likely to implement lockdown policies. Among the eight countries that meet both conditions, five implemented lockdown policies. Finally, factors such as political heritage, severity of the pandemic, demographic composition, healthcare access, quality standards, and the ruling party's ideology play a lesser role in the decision to enact lockdown measures. This article offers a novel perspective on the dynamics of party politics and state capacity in the context of decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the intricate relationship between political systems and public health crisis management, highlighting how various political and governance factors influence the adoption of public health interventions during crises.