Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management最新文献

Narratives play a crucial role in crisis communication. Using qualitative content analysis within the Narrative Policy Framework, this study examines the policy narratives in 372 open letters issued by Chinese local governments during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings reveal that Chinese local governments constructed a narrative in which the entire society was in crisis, while the government was comprehensively responding, a portrayal that varied according to the different stages of the crisis. As for the characters, public servants were constructed as both heroes and victims, the COVID-19 was cast as the villain, and citizens were portrayed as both victims and heroes. In terms of the moral, the open letters urged public servants to fulfil their professional duties, citizens to comply with existing policies, and broader social forces to actively participate. Finally, regarding the plot, the open letters constructed three distinct plot types centred on the interactions between public servants, the COVID-19, and citizens, which collectively manifested as an overarching “People's Campaign” plot. This study offers insights into crisis communication by public organisations in non-Western contexts and contributes to the understanding of policy narratives during the crisis.

This study explores how Twitter functioned as a channel for public communication, emotional expression and situational awareness during the 2017 hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Using the Twitter API and AWS Elastic MapReduce, a dataset of 203,320 English-language hurricane-related Tweets was collected. The analysis combined a customised AFINN-based lexicon for sentiment evaluation, comparative topic modelling through latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) and K-Means clustering, and spatial statistical methods to detect geographic clustering. Non-parametric tests, including the Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests, were used to compare sentiment differences across storms, while chi-square, ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis analyses examined topic distribution. The findings showed significant differences among hurricanes. Harvey and Irma displayed a clear rebound from negative to positive sentiment after landfall, reflecting hope and early recovery, while Maria remained predominantly negative, signalling extended hardship and dissatisfaction with response efforts. LDA performed better than K-Means, producing coherent seven-topic structures that revealed both shared themes, such as hurricane category, environmental impact, community support and weather updates and unique topics for each event, including presidential response for Harvey, evacuation readiness for Irma and power outages for Maria. Geographical analysis using heatmaps and Moran's I confirmed significant clustering for Harvey and Irma, but diffuse patterns for Maria. Overall, the study demonstrates that integrating sentiment, thematic and spatial analyses provides a multidimensional understanding of disaster communication and recommends that emergency managers employ such frameworks for real-time situational monitoring, geographically targeted relief and adaptive communication strategies to enhance resilience and public trust.

In an era defined by global disruptions, the resilience of the hospitality industry has become paramount. This study develops and tests a novel integrated model to examine how crisis management strategies, technology adoption, communication approaches, leadership styles and financial resource allocation influenced the resilience of China's hospitality sector during recent pandemics and natural disasters. A mixed-method approach was employed, using structured questionnaires and case studies collected from senior managers, operational staff and government liaisons across hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, the meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) sector and tourism attractions. Data were analyzed using PLS-SEM 4. Results confirmed that robust crisis management strategies significantly enhanced resilience, with organizational learning acting as a vital mediator by converting past crisis insights into adaptive capacity. Furthermore, government support positively moderates these effects, demonstrating that targeted policies and aid amplify strategic efficacy. The findings offer an actionable roadmap for industry practitioners to prioritize technological integration, strengthen communication and adopt adaptive leadership. For policymakers, the study underscores the critical importance of tailored support measures, such as financial aid and regulatory flexibility, in building a more resilient hospitality ecosystem. Its primary originality lies in investigating the dual roles of organizational learning as a critical mediator and government support as a key moderator within these relationships. By integrating existing literature with crisis management frameworks, this research offered a comprehensive model of hospitality resilience in the Chinese context, advancing understanding of post-crisis recovery.

Digital humanitarianism represents an increasingly important aspect of wider humanitarian aid processes. Here, crisis mapping, which draws on international, largely Northern, volunteers utilising crowdsourced data drawn from disaster-affected communities, largely in the South, is perhaps its most well-known form. Such practices have been subject to critiques concerning power dynamics, the motivations of international volunteers and the relative inequalities faced by participants, especially in crisis-affected contexts. Our analysis utilises such critiques to probe the role volunteers play in the mapping nexus. In doing so, we examine volunteer perceptions of the skills-building processes offered by mapping organizations through which, volunteers attempt to build the necessary capacity to undertake their work. Subsequently, we examine volunteer engagement in the practice of mapping itself. In doing so, we consider the nature of individual labour commitments to mapping and perceptions of organizational cohesion. Finally, we focus on what motivates volunteers to get involved, as well as perceptions of impact. Despite mapping constituting a highly technocratic process, we conclude that the volunteer community of mappers is dynamic and inherently complex and not easy to label. Further, the nature of the mapping sector's organization can be considered as a positive boon to their sustainability and continued relevance.

Crisis management research has traditionally emphasized centralized authority, often concentrated in a crisis management team (CMT), to enable fast, coordinated internal responses. However, other scholars highlight the benefits of decentralizing internal crisis management and communication authority to middle managers to enhance responsiveness, creativity, and sensemaking during crises. But how can an organization work with a decentralized approach? What challenges do middle managers face, and do they appreciate such an approach? Based on a qualitative case study, including interviews with the CMT and 14 middle managers in a Danish organization ( + 1500 employees) during the Covid-19 pandemic, the aim of this study is to explore how and why an organization decentralizes the authority of internal crisis management and communication responsibilities during a long-term crisis, and what challenges and implications this poses for middle management. Key findings reveal new dimensions of decentralization processes, including the important role of timing and of communication by the CMT. While the decentralized authority of certain operational crisis management tasks, such as remote work, was welcomed by some middle managers, it created uncertainty and confusion among others. Communication and guidance from the CMT around the decentralized approach to crisis management were lacking, further challenging sensemaking processes and the ‘sandwiched’ roles of middle managers. Several middle managers expressed a need for feedback from a perceived distant CMT. In response, horizontal coordination among middle managers intensified as a strategy to reduce uncertainty and make sense of evolving responsibilities.

Considering the increasing frequency and severity of disasters, improving individual resilience has become a critical priority. This study examines the multidimensional relationship between disaster risk perception and individual disaster resilience among undergraduate students in Türkiye using a convenience sample drawn from a single faculty, therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to the wider university student population. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 995 undergraduate students in Türkiye. Data collection was conducted using the Disaster Risk Perception Scale and the Individual Disaster Resilience Scale. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was performed using R for data analysis. The findings revealed that disaster risk perception and individual resilience levels were generally moderate among participants, with significant variation across some socio-demographic groups. Exposure and manageable anxiety were positively associated with knowledge-based and informational coping capacities. In contrast, excessive anxiety and perceptions of uncontrollability were negatively associated with communal and affective coping, while perceptions of effect were positively associated with communal coping. All associations were noncausal owing to the cross-sectional design. These findings suggest that disaster education and preparedness programs may help strengthen individuals' perceptions of self-efficacy and controllability while promoting a balanced level of risk awareness. The dual role of anxiety in shaping resilience emphasizes the need to address emotional responses in disaster risk communication. This study extends crisis management and disaster resilience literature by empirically investigating the multidimensional relationship between disaster risk perception and individual disaster resilience within a single structural model, highlighting an understudied university student population in Türkiye.

Employees' communication with external stakeholders has a megaphoning effect that can easily enhance or damage an organisation's reputation during a crisis. It is essential for organisations to have employees' support and endorsement to successfully get through and recover from an organisational crisis. This study examines the impact of internal crisis communication and perceived organisational ethics on both ethical and unethical employee endorsements during organisational crises. A total of 296 participants were recruited in the study. The results showed that internal crisis communication positively influenced both ethical and unethical employee endorsements, while perceived organisational ethics enhanced ethical endorsement but had no significant effect on unethical endorsement. The study raises concerns that, although engaged employees are willing to defend the organisation during crises, they may unintentionally engage in unethical endorsement, overlooking ethical boundaries in an effort to protect organisational reputation. These findings highlight the need for organisations to integrate ethical considerations into internal crisis communication strategies to mitigate long-term reputational damage. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed.

In an increasingly complex and dynamic global environment, airlines must leverage advanced technologies to enhance their operational resilience and sustain competitiveness. This study investigates the role of emerging technologies—specifically Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data Analytics, Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR and AR)—in strengthening organisational resilience among Middle Eastern airlines. Utilising an online survey distributed to 152 air transport industry stakeholders, the research analyses the impact of these technologies on operational efficiency, decision-making and crisis management. Stratified sampling divided respondents into management, flight crew and ground staff, ensuring a representative sample. The findings highlight IoT and Big Data Analytics as critical to improving resource allocation and promoting proactive decision-making. T-tests and ANOVA results revealed no significant differences in technology adoption across gender or occupational roles. However, multiple regression analysis demonstrated that Big Data Analytics and IoT significantly enhance organisational resilience, while AI shows a weaker relationship due to its implementation challenges. The study concludes that adopting emerging technologies is vital for airlines to adapt to market disruptions, optimise operations and maintain long-term sustainability. The results support Organisational Resilience Theory, emphasising contingency planning and proactive innovation to mitigate industry uncertainties.

Large-scale sporting events, such as the Asian Football Cup (AFC), present significant public health challenges due to the influx of spectators and the strain on the host country's healthcare infrastructure. Effective healthcare delivery and emergency preparedness during such events necessitate meticulous planning, coordination, and resource allocation. This study aimed to report on Qatar's healthcare systems, strategies, and planning measures implemented for the 2023 AFC and provide recommendations. This paper presents a real-world case study examining Qatar's healthcare management strategies for the 2023 AFC by recapitulating documentation and reports, such as operational and incident reports collected during the event period, from Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar. The findings revealed a well-defined command and control structure with gold, silver and bronze leadership levels, facilitating seamless coordination and communication among stakeholders. Locum healthcare professionals, recruitment, and training programmes ensured adequate medical coverage and familiarity with local protocols. Major incident planning enhanced preparedness for potential crises, including specialised emergency management teams, escalation protocols and strategically positioned resources. The ‘Occurrences, Variances, and Accidents’ incident reporting system promoted a safety culture and continuous improvement. Key recommendations included establishing clear performance indicators, conducting regular audits, enhancing training programmes, advocating incident reporting and encouraging research in the mass gathering medicine field. Qatar's healthcare management strategies during the 2023 AFC demonstrated effective planning, coordination and adaptability in addressing the challenges of a large-scale sporting event. The findings contribute to the development of best practices for healthcare coordination during international mass gathering sporting competitions, informing future regional events, such as FIFA 2030.