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The paradox of information systems in crisis: Walking the tight rope between rigidity and flexibility

Meesters,Kenny
; 
Alexiou,Andreas
; 
Ou,Carol
Abstract
Crisis situations ask for relevant, accurate and complete information to support decision makers. Today there is a plethora of systems available to crisis responders to generate, accumulate and process information. These systems and (infra) structures are often developed, established, and implemented outside crisis situations as part of preparedness activities. At the same time, crisis situations are often characterized by their volatility and uncertainty. Both in terms of the effects of the disaster, but also in the response to the disaster, and often require a tailored approach. In this research we examine trade-offs between the preparedness of information systems, and the flexibility needed to adapt to operational and crisis specific circumstances. We conduct this research through case studies centered around two large-scale emergencies and discuss the challenges in managing the ‘rigidity-adaptability’ balance for emergency responders.
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Publisher Copyright: © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2024.
Date
2024-06
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Tilburg University Research Output Collection
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Keywords
Adaptability, Crisis Response, Information Systems, Organizational Capabilities, Preparedness
Citation
Meesters, K, Alexiou, A & Ou, C 2024, The paradox of information systems in crisis: Walking the tight rope between rigidity and flexibility. in J Dugdale, T Gjøsæter & O Uchida (eds), Information Technology in Disaster Risk Reduction - 8th IFIP WG 5.15 International Conference, ITDRR 2023, Revised Selected Papers. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol. 706 IFIPAICT, pp. 167-184, 8th IFIP WG 5.15 International Conference on Information Technology in Disaster Risk Reduction, tokyo, Japan, 4/12/23. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-64037-7_11
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14602/26078
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info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
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