Discussion 5A: Organizational Adaptation to Critical Incidents

 Read the Module and articles by Wachtendorf (2003), Harrald (2006), and Drabek & McEntire (2002).  What are the key issues for organizations in dealing with disasters? 

Organizations in Critical Incidents (Flexibility, Emergence, Creativity and Improvisation

Read or Review

• Module 3: Organizations in Critical Incident Response: overview, objectives and the following parts of the commentary:
  • Part I: Organizations in Incident Response
    • Disaster Research Center Organizational Typologies
    • Creativity and Improvisation
    • Inter-organizational Coordination - Emergent Multi-organizational Networks (EMONS) for Critical Incident Response
    • Inter-organizational Coordination in Hurricane Katrina
• In the UMUC Library: Agility and Discipline: Critical Success Factors for Disaster Response By John R. Harrald The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science Vol. 604, Shelter from the Storm: Repairing the National Emergency Management System after Hurricane Katrina (Mar., 2006), pp. 256-272 (Pay particular attention to the organization typology – page 268)
• Pfeifer, J. (2012). Adapting to Novelty: Recognizing the Need for Innovation and Leadership. WNYF. https://ash.harvard.edu/files/adapting_to_novelty.pdf 
• Schiller, K. (2011, May) Disaster Response: Technology Makes a Difference. http://www.infotoday.com/it/may11/Schiller-Disaster-Response.shtml
• Kendra, J. & Wachtendorf, T. (2003).Creativity in Emergency Response to the World Trade Center Disaster. In Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center, Public Entity Risk Institute, and Institute for Civil Infrastructure Systems. http://www.riskinstitute.org/peri/images/file/sept11book_ch5_kendra.pdf
• Watch video referred to in this article http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDOrzF7B2Kg
• Beyond September 11th: An Account of Post-Disaster Research. Special Publication No. 39. Boulder, CO: Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center. Creativity in the 9/11 Response http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/publications/sp/sp39/sept11book_ch5_kendra.pdf
• Drabek, T. & McEntire, D. (2002). Emergent Phenomena and Multiorganizational Coordination in Disasters: Lessons from the Research Literature, International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, 20(2), 197-224. http://www.ijmed.org/articles/574/download/
• Barbaro, M. & Gillis, J. (2005, September 6). Wal-Mart at Forefront of Hurricane Relief. 
  • http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/05/AR2005090501598.html
  • AND http://news.walmart.com/news-archive/2005/09/04/media-information-wal-marts-response-to-hurricane-katrina
  • AND http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TJ7Mkw3rME
• Watch: Covella, V. (2011, February 23).  Message Mapping, (linked in commentary or full version here – 41:16 minutes), Homeland Security Research http://vimeo.com/20290221 or article http://www.orau.gov/cdcynergy/erc/content/activeinformation/resources/Covello_message_mapping.pdf