Promoting Disaster Resilience: Operation Mechanisms and Self-Organizing Processes of Crowdsourcing

Zhijun Song, Hui Zhang and Chris Dolan
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Zhijun Song: School of Public Administration, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Hui Zhang: School of Public Administration, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Chris Dolan: Institute of Advanced Studies, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 5, 1-14

Abstract: It is often difficult to realize effective governance and management within the inherent complexity and uncertainty of disasters. The application of crowdsourcing, through encouraging voluntary support from the general public, advances efficient disaster governance. Twelve international case studies of crowdsourcing and natural disaster governance were collected for in-depth analysis. Influenced by Complex Adaptive System theory, we explored the self-organizing operation mechanisms and self-organization processes of crowdsourcing within disaster governance. The self-organizing operation mechanisms of crowdsourcing are influenced by the multi-directional interaction between the crowdsourcing platform, the initiator (who commences the crowdsourcing process) and the contractor (who undertakes disaster reduction tasks). The benefits of crowdsourcing for governance structure and self-organization processes in natural disaster governance are reflected in three perspectives: strengthening communication and coordination, optimizing emergency decision-making, and improving the ability to learn and adapt. This paper discusses how crowdsourcing can promote disaster resilience from the perspective of the complex adaptive system to enrich the theoretical research on crowdsourcing and disaster resilience.

Keywords: Social media; Complex adaptive system; Self-organization; Public participation; Co-creation; Co-design; Crowdsourcing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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