Boundary Work to Conduct Business as Usual: Interaction at the Boundary Between the Affected Organization and Emergency Responders

Oscarsson, Olof

doi:10.1002/rhc3.12157

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Since 2009, a growing number of studies began to focus on the response phase. This shift is visible in the research on incident command (Barton et al, 2015;Curnin et al, 2015;Wolbers & Boersma, 2013), collaborative networks (Larsson, 2017;Oscarsson, 2019, Therrien & Normandin, 2020, crisis communication (Olsson, 2014;Palttala et al, 2012), and, most recently, social media research (Reuter & Kaufhold, 2018;Wukich, 2019) (Figure 5).…”

Section: A Focus On Preparedness and Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

A systematic review of 20 years of crisis and disaster research: Trends and progress

Wolbers

Kuipers

Boin

2021

Risk Hazard & Crisis Pub Pol

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The field of crisis and disaster studies has proliferated over the past two decades. Attention is bound to grow further as the world negotiates the prolonged challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this review, we provide an overview of the main foci, methods, and research designs employed in the crisis and disaster research fields in the period of 2001-2020. The review documents that the focus and methods used have not changed much over time. Single case studies and exploratory research prevail, the focus has shifted from preparedness to response, and methodological diversity is limited, but gradually increasing. Future challenges are to understand transboundary crisis management and creeping crises. Advancing the field calls for our community to put more effort in drawing lessons beyond the single case to uncover comparable and universal patterns that connect between events or phases, which help to theorize the multifaceted nature of crisis and disaster management.case study, crisis, disaster, future, literature review, methods, phases, trends "Crises provide a unique laboratory of social and political life (…) [and] perfect ground for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary efforts" (Rosenthal & Kouzmin, 1993: 3, 8).

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Section: A Focus On Preparedness and Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

A systematic review of 20 years of crisis and disaster research: Trends and progress

Wolbers

Kuipers

Boin

2021

Risk Hazard & Crisis Pub Pol

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“…During a crisis situation, boundary spanners negotiate the operational picture to reach an overlapping understanding of the situation at stake (Wolbers and Boersma, 2013). Subsequently, they are involved in allocating responsibilities between the actors that ultimately engage in the crisis management effort (Oscarsson, 2019; Kvarnlöff and Johansson, 2014). The activities of boundary spanners are therefore highly diverse but are also at the core of crisis management.…”

Section: Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Boundary spanners in crisis management

Kalkman

2020

IJES

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PurposeCrisis management increasingly requires coordination and collaboration between multiple organizations. This means that inter-organizational boundaries have to be spanned by dedicated organizational members (i.e. boundary spanners). This paper aims to describe which features facilitate the work of boundary spanners in crisis management.Design/methodology/approachA case study, consisting of 26 interviews, has been conducted in the Netherlands to explore how civilian and military representatives effectively spanned inter-organizational boundaries.FindingsFive features are identified that enable boundary spanners to improve crisis management coordination and collaboration. Boundary spanners are likely to be successful when they (1) serve long terms, (2) are sensitive to partners' concerns, (3) have considerable discretion, (4) are politically skilled and (5) prove influential in their own organization.Practical implicationsCrisis organizations can extend boundary spanners' term length, broaden their discretionary space and give them more influence to facilitate their work. Additionally, in the selection process, it would be well to choose organizational members who display a sensitivity to the interests of crisis partners and possess political skill.Originality/valueMultiple studies have reiterated the key role of boundary spanners in enabling crisis management coordination and collaboration. Yet, this study is the first to provide a systematic analysis of key features that help boundary spanners to reach this goal.

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“…Nell'era della globalizzazione, la permeabilità dei confini organizzativi e l'interdipendenza fra sistemi hanno reso indispensabile il ruolo delle figure di boundary spanners le cui funzioni di comunicatore, innovatore, protettore e manager della relazione sono sempre copresenti nelle loro attività. Tuttavia, queste funzioni diventano ancora più determinanti in situazioni di crisi o eventi inattesi, quando essere ambassador, networker, negoziator, consente di essere pronti a creare e mantenere i contatti, di facilitare lo scambio di dati e informazioni, di negoziare questioni operative, di assumersi e/o attribuire ad altri delle responsabilità (Curnin, Owen, & Trist, 2014;Oscarsson, 2019). In una situazione di crisi e di emergenza dunque il ruolo di boundary spanner diventa importante per una serie di ragioni: fungono da ponte, mediante un costante flusso comunicativo con gli altri rappresentanti della gestione della crisi di altre organizzazioni; diventano promotori dello sviluppo di una fiducia reciproca, facilitandone il coordinamento e la collaborazione (Alvinius, Kylin, Starrin, & Larsson, 2014;Tino, 2018a;2018b); diventano artefici dello sviluppo di un linguaggio comune che facilita l'interazione durante la gestione di una crisi, grazie proprio alla creazione e al mantenimento di un flusso comunicativo costante con l'interno e l'esterno dell'organizzazione (Kristiansen, Johansen, & Carlström, 2019).…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkunclassified

The activities of the organizational boundary spanners during the Covid19 pandemic: the case of a profit organization

Tino

2021

Form@re

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In the first period of emergency from Covid19, only workplace organizations with essential production activities were able to continue to carry out their work. This required them the implementation of organizational strategies useful to contrast the risk of the pandemic and to protect production performance. The qualitative study conducted in a Lombard company, through semi-structured interviews, aimed at figures with different levels of responsibility, wanted to investigate: (i) which boundary spanning activities were used to manage the emergency? (ii) what factors allowed the effectiveness of the result in terms of contrasting the pandemic and guaranteeing the productivity (iii), what were the perceived effects on the company? Findings highlight the importance of the activities of organizational boundary spanners in emergency management and of those factors that, by supporting the socio-emotional dimension, have determined the organization’s productive advantage. Le attività dei boundary spanners organizzativi durante la pandemia da Covid19: il caso di un’organizzazione profit. Nel primo periodo della diffusione dell’emergenza sanitaria da Covid19, solo le organizzazioni lavorative con attività produttive essenziali hanno potuto continuare a svolgere il loro lavoro. Questo ha richiesto loro la messa in atto di strategie organizzative utili a contrastare il rischio della diffusione della pandemia e a salvaguardare la performance produttiva. Lo studio qualitativo condotto, in un’organizzazione profit lombarda, tramite interviste semistrutturate, rivolte a figure con diversi livelli di responsabilità ha voluto investigare: (i) quali attività di boundary spanning sono state utilizzate per gestire l’emergenza? (ii) quali fattori hanno consentito l’efficacia di risultato in termini di contrasto alla pandemia e di garanzia produttività (iii), quali sono state le ricadute percepite sull’organizzazione? I risultati ottenuti evidenziano l’importanza delle attività dei boundary spanners organizzativi nella gestione dell’emergenza e di quei fattori che sostenendo la dimensione socio-emozionale ne hanno determinano il vantaggio produttivo dell’organizzazione.

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Boundary Work to Conduct Business as Usual: Interaction at the Boundary Between the Affected Organization and Emergency Responders

Cited by 11 publications

References 44 publications

A systematic review of 20 years of crisis and disaster research: Trends and progress

A systematic review of 20 years of crisis and disaster research: Trends and progress

Boundary spanners in crisis management

The activities of the organizational boundary spanners during the Covid19 pandemic: the case of a profit organization

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