IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ejores/v243y2015i1p312-322.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Application of the Viable System Model to analyse communications structures: A case study of disaster response in Japan

Author

Listed:
  • Preece, Gary
  • Shaw, Duncan
  • Hayashi, Haruo

Abstract

Every year, natural and man-made disasters affect hundreds of thousands of people and cause extensive damage. OR has made substantial contributions to disaster response and these have been the subject of several recent literature reviews. However, these reviews have also identified research gaps for OR – two of which are (1) limited contribution from soft OR, and (2) a need to model communications during disasters where there are complex interactions between stakeholders. At the intersection of these gaps we apply the Viable System Model (VSM) to examine challenges of rapid communication viability during dynamic disasters. The data that informs this paper were collected in four case studies in Japan – three on its current capabilities (e.g. a local government disaster management office) and one on its response to a past disaster (the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995). This paper shows how applying VSM identified generic gaps and opportunities for communication systems and shows how these case studies signal the utility of VSM structures to arranging communications for fast-paced and changing environments. This paper also contributes to VSM theory through developing two new concepts (1) environmental support mechanisms for viability; and (2) rapid implementation unit emergence.

Suggested Citation

  • Preece, Gary & Shaw, Duncan & Hayashi, Haruo, 2015. "Application of the Viable System Model to analyse communications structures: A case study of disaster response in Japan," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 243(1), pages 312-322.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ejores:v:243:y:2015:i:1:p:312-322
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2014.11.026
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377221714009497
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ejor.2014.11.026?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jian Hu & Sanjay Mehrotra, 2012. "Robust and Stochastically Weighted Multiobjective Optimization Models and Reformulations," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 60(4), pages 936-953, August.
    2. Lejeune, Miguel A., 2013. "Probabilistic modeling of multiperiod service levels," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 230(2), pages 299-312.
    3. Evin Uzun Jacobson & Nilay Tanık Argon & Serhan Ziya, 2012. "Priority Assignment in Emergency Response," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 60(4), pages 813-832, August.
    4. Ormerod, Richard, 1999. "Putting soft OR methods to work: The case of the business improvement project at PowerGen," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 118(1), pages 1-29, October.
    5. Rachaniotis, Nikolaos P. & Dasaklis, Tom K. & Pappis, Costas P., 2012. "A deterministic resource scheduling model in epidemic control: A case study," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 216(1), pages 225-231.
    6. Nitesh Bharosa & JinKyu Lee & Marijn Janssen, 2010. "Challenges and obstacles in sharing and coordinating information during multi-agency disaster response: Propositions from field exercises," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 49-65, March.
    7. Edrissi, Ali & Poorzahedy, Hossain & Nassiri, Habibollah & Nourinejad, Mehdi, 2013. "A multi-agent optimization formulation of earthquake disaster prevention and management," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 229(1), pages 261-275.
    8. Ormerod, RJ, 1998. "Putting Soft OR Methods to Work: Information Systems Strategy Development at Palabora," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 75-98, February.
    9. Mingers, John & Rosenhead, Jonathan, 2004. "Problem structuring methods in action," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(3), pages 530-554, February.
    10. Campbell, Ann Melissa & Jones, Philip C., 2011. "Prepositioning supplies in preparation for disasters," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 209(2), pages 156-165, March.
    11. Altay, Nezih & Green III, Walter G., 2006. "OR/MS research in disaster operations management," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 175(1), pages 475-493, November.
    12. Eiselt, H.A. & Marianov, Vladimir, 2012. "Mobile phone tower location for survival after natural disasters," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 216(3), pages 563-572.
    13. Uchida, Kenetsu, 2012. "A model evaluating effect of disaster warning issuance conditions on “cry wolf syndrome” in the case of a landslide," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 218(2), pages 530-537.
    14. Linda V. Green & Peter J. Kolesar, 2004. "ANNIVERSARY ARTICLE: Improving Emergency Responsiveness with Management Science," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(8), pages 1001-1014, August.
    15. Russell L. Ackoff, 1981. "The Art and Science of Mess Management," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 11(1), pages 20-26, February.
    16. Nagarajan, Magesh & Shaw, Duncan & Albores, Pavel, 2012. "Disseminating a warning message to evacuate: A simulation study of the behaviour of neighbours," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 220(3), pages 810-819.
    17. Shaw, Duncan & Blundell, Neil, 2010. "WASAN: The development of a facilitated methodology for structuring a waste minimisation problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 207(1), pages 350-362, November.
    18. N C Simpson & P G Hancock, 2009. "Fifty years of operational research and emergency response," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 60(1), pages 126-139, May.
    19. Mingers, John & White, Leroy, 2010. "A review of the recent contribution of systems thinking to operational research and management science," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 207(3), pages 1147-1161, December.
    20. Galindo, Gina & Batta, Rajan, 2013. "Review of recent developments in OR/MS research in disaster operations management," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 230(2), pages 201-211.
    21. Ciumasu, Ioan M., 2013. "Dynamic decision trees for building resilience into future eco-cities," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(9), pages 1804-1814.
    22. Louise Comfort & Naim Kapucu, 2006. "Inter-organizational coordination in extreme events: The World Trade Center attacks, September 11, 2001," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 39(2), pages 309-327, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Juliana Mariano Alves & Waldecy Rodrigues & Fernán Enrique Vergara & Fred Newton Souza & Leonardo Augusto Amaral Terra, 2021. "From the black box to the fish farming development policy project: A diagnosis from the viable system model," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 459-472, August.
    2. Amin Vahidi & Alireza Aliahmad & Ebrahim Teimouri, 2019. "Evolution of Management Cybernetics and Viable System Model," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 32(3), pages 297-314, June.
    3. Comrie, E.L. & Burns, C. & Coulson, A.B. & Quigley, J. & Quigley, K.F., 2019. "Rationalising the use of Twitter by official organisations during risk events: Operationalising the Social Amplification of Risk Framework through causal loop diagrams," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 272(2), pages 792-801.
    4. Hart, Diane & Paucar-Caceres, Alberto, 2017. "A utilisation focussed and viable systems approach for evaluating technology supported learning," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 259(2), pages 626-641.
    5. Jacqueline Y. Sánchez-García & Ana Gabriela Ramírez-Gutiérrez & Juan E. Núñez-Ríos & Pedro Pablo Cardoso-Castro & Omar G. Rojas, 2019. "Systems Thinking Approach to Sustainable Performance in RAMSAR Sites," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-21, November.
    6. Maren Berge Vik & Hanne Finnestrand & Robert L. Flood, 2022. "Systemic Problem Structuring in a Complex Hospital Environment using Viable System Diagnosis – Keeping the Blood Flowing," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 203-226, April.
    7. Lowe, David & Espinosa, Angela & Yearworth, Mike, 2020. "Constitutive rules for guiding the use of the viable system model: Reflections on practice," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 287(3), pages 1014-1035.
    8. Fattoum, Ayham & Chari, Simos & Shaw, Duncan, 2024. "Configuring systems to be viable in a crisis: The role of intuitive decision-making," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 317(1), pages 205-218.
    9. Sydelko, Pamela & Espinosa, Angela & Midgley, Gerald, 2024. "Designing interagency responses to wicked problems: A viable system model board game," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 312(2), pages 746-764.
    10. Doan, Xuan Vinh & Shaw, Duncan, 2019. "Resource allocation when planning for simultaneous disasters," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 274(2), pages 687-709.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Farahani, Reza Zanjirani & Lotfi, M.M. & Baghaian, Atefe & Ruiz, Rubén & Rezapour, Shabnam, 2020. "Mass casualty management in disaster scene: A systematic review of OR&MS research in humanitarian operations," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 287(3), pages 787-819.
    2. Yiping Jiang & Yufei Yuan, 2019. "Emergency Logistics in a Large-Scale Disaster Context: Achievements and Challenges," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-23, March.
    3. Huang, Kai & Jiang, Yiping & Yuan, Yufei & Zhao, Lindu, 2015. "Modeling multiple humanitarian objectives in emergency response to large-scale disasters," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 1-17.
    4. Rodríguez-Espíndola, Oscar & Albores, Pavel & Brewster, Christopher, 2018. "Disaster preparedness in humanitarian logistics: A collaborative approach for resource management in floods," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 264(3), pages 978-993.
    5. A. Anaya-Arenas & J. Renaud & A. Ruiz, 2014. "Relief distribution networks: a systematic review," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 223(1), pages 53-79, December.
    6. Preece, Gary & Shaw, Duncan & Hayashi, Haruo, 2013. "Using the Viable System Model (VSM) to structure information processing complexity in disaster response," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 224(1), pages 209-218.
    7. Sperling, Martina & Schryen, Guido, 2022. "Decision support for disaster relief: Coordinating spontaneous volunteers," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 299(2), pages 690-705.
    8. Esposito Amideo, A. & Scaparra, M.P. & Kotiadis, K., 2019. "Optimising shelter location and evacuation routing operations: The critical issues," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 279(2), pages 279-295.
    9. Rauchecker, Gerhard & Schryen, Guido, 2019. "An exact branch-and-price algorithm for scheduling rescue units during disaster response," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 272(1), pages 352-363.
    10. Rodríguez-Espíndola, Oscar & Ahmadi, Hossein & Gastélum-Chavira, Diego & Ahumada-Valenzuela, Omar & Chowdhury, Soumyadeb & Dey, Prasanta Kumar & Albores, Pavel, 2023. "Humanitarian logistics optimization models: An investigation of decision-maker involvement and directions to promote implementation," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    11. Kovacs, Gyöngyi & Moshtari, Mohammad, 2019. "A roadmap for higher research quality in humanitarian operations: A methodological perspective," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 276(2), pages 395-408.
    12. Comrie, E.L. & Burns, C. & Coulson, A.B. & Quigley, J. & Quigley, K.F., 2019. "Rationalising the use of Twitter by official organisations during risk events: Operationalising the Social Amplification of Risk Framework through causal loop diagrams," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 272(2), pages 792-801.
    13. Torabi, S.A. & Mansouri, S.A., 2015. "Integrated business continuity and disaster recovery planning: Towards organizational resilienceAuthor-Name: Sahebjamnia, N," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 242(1), pages 261-273.
    14. Adsanver, Birce & Balcik, Burcu & Bélanger, Valérie & Rancourt, Marie-Ève, 2024. "Operations research approaches for improving coordination, cooperation, and collaboration in humanitarian relief chains: A framework and literature review," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 319(2), pages 384-398.
    15. Jingxian Chen & Liang Liang & Dong-Qing Yao, 2017. "Pre-positioning of relief inventories for non-profit organizations: a newsvendor approach," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 259(1), pages 35-63, December.
    16. Nagarajan, Magesh & Shaw, Duncan & Albores, Pavel, 2012. "Disseminating a warning message to evacuate: A simulation study of the behaviour of neighbours," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 220(3), pages 810-819.
    17. Araya-Córdova, P.J. & Vásquez, Óscar C., 2018. "The disaster emergency unit scheduling problem to control wildfires," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 311-317.
    18. Lu, Chung-Cheng & Ying, Kuo-Ching & Chen, Hui-Ju, 2016. "Real-time relief distribution in the aftermath of disasters – A rolling horizon approach," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 1-20.
    19. Gabriel Zayas‐Cabán & Emmett J. Lodree & David L. Kaufman, 2020. "Optimal Control of Parallel Queues for Managing Volunteer Convergence," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 29(10), pages 2268-2288, October.
    20. Aurelie Charles & Matthieu Lauras & Luk N. van Wassenhove & Lionel Dupont, 2016. "Designing an efficient humanitarian supply network," Post-Print hal-01532132, HAL.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ejores:v:243:y:2015:i:1:p:312-322. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/eor .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.