College

Strome College of Business

Program

Ph.D. Public Administration and Policy - School of Public Service

Publication Date

Spring 2020

DOI

10.25883/8wm8-hs47

Abstract

Emergency management continues to ignite policy discussions globally. With the growing impacts of climate change, pandemics, and the international political economy (IPE), more resources are invested in emergency resilience. Researchers in the Hampton Roads area underscore the growing need for emergency management strategies, especially considering the recurrence of natural disasters in the area. To that end, seminars, workshops, and conferences are held annually to convene key stakeholders on this subject. Simultaneously, there is rapid growth in global technological innovations that aim at bolstering countries’ resiliency thrust. These technological innovations gave rise to the 21st-century buzzword ‘e-resilience’. E-resilience involves the use of technology in advancing emergency management. The United Nations continues to promote the e-resilience thrust, highlighting the significant role technology plays in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies. Whether through cellular phone applications, geographic information systems (GIS), data-free services, or satellite imageries, technology is value-added in times of emergency. The main purpose of this study will be to unearth feasible technological tools to bolster emergency management in the Hampton Roads area. Furthermore, to decipher the collaborations and non-technological components needed for e-resilience. A phenomenology methodology will be adopted, underpinned by the social constructivist research paradigm. Data will be collected through elite interviews, focus group discussions, and secondary data review. The researcher will aim at documenting the perception of policy experts on e-resilience, based on their lived experiences and expert knowledge in emergency management. As is evidenced by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, researches into the technological facets of emergency management are pivotal. The findings from this study will be significant for both theory and practice in emergency management, and for the wider public policy and government spheres.

Keywords

E-Resilience, Disaster management, Hampton Roads, Technology

Disciplines

Emergency and Disaster Management | Science and Technology Studies

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Bolstering Emergency Management with Technological Tools: Opportunities for 'E-Resilience' Collaborations in Hampton Roads


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