Rethinking crisis readiness through network governance for extreme weather events

This study draws on crisis communication and network governance perspectives to consider how inter-organizational relationships enable collective crisis readiness during extreme weather events. Using a qualitative design, 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted with crisis communication scholars and practitioners and analyzed through inductive thematic analysis. Data suggest that crisis readiness cannot be understood solely as an organizational attribute but is enacted through networks of collaborating actors. 

Four interrelated mechanisms emerged as critical for translating organizational preparedness into collective crisis response: inter-organizational efficacy, relational resilience, relational agility and collective learning. The study conceptualizes relational readiness as a network-level condition that enables organizations to enact preparedness collectively and draws attention to the importance of inter-organizational relationships in climate-related emergencies.