The role of e-government in disaster management: A review of the literature

Abstract Aim/purpose – Disasters or catastrophic events create unforeseen circumstances and require new approaches from local and national administrations in addressing the negative impacts on society and the economy. Determining the role of e-government in providing the kind of services that are especially needed has become particularly relevant during COVID-19. This paper aims to assess the progress and current state of research on the role of e-government during or in the aftermath of catastrophic events. The purpose of this research is twofold: one, to benefit scholars by providing directions and a basis for further research, and two, to offer guidance to decision-makers involved with disaster management. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology used in this study is a systematic literature review. Multiple databases, including EBSCO, Elsevier, Emerald, JSTOR, Google Scholar, SAGE, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Springer, Taylor and Francis, and Wiley Online Library were searched for appropriate papers. In total, 36 papers published between 2004 and 2022 met our inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Findings – The study produced three types of findings. First, an analysis of the themes and trends in the existing literature. Second, a synopsis of the published research findings in the reviewed papers. And third, a description of the needs and opportunities for further research. Research implications/limitations – This study should help other researchers in directing their efforts in further exploration, and it should help people involved with real-life disaster management to navigate through the effective role and application of e-government. The main limitation is that we found only 36 research papers that met our inclusion criteria. Originality/value/contribution – Despite the potentially critical role that e-government may have in mitigating the negative effects of catastrophic events, research on e-government in disaster management seems to be still underdeveloped, and to our knowledge, there is no published systematic review of such research.