System dynamics applications in crisis management: A literature review

Abstract

ABSTRACT Crises are dynamic in nature and usually associated with complexity, uncertainty, pressure, and loss of boundaries. System dynamics is an approach for understanding nonlinear behaviour of complex systems over time. Its inherent capabilities make it effective in dealing with crises' attributes. Accordingly, deploying this technique in managing crises will strengthen the process and ensure its successfulness. This premise had been acknowledged by many scholars and reflected in their researches. In the last two decades there were many system dynamics applications in crisis management practice. These applications were subjected to an analysis process to recognise its characteristics. The analysis process identified their evolution trend, scholars' origins, utilised tools, crises' types, unit of analysis, and applications' categories. These categories include analysis, decision support system, crises preparation, forecasting, enhancing performance, setting plans, and policies' consequences. This classification frame should add extra knowledge to academics and present best practices for managing crises to practitioners.