RAPID: Organizational Development in Response to Crisis

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA

Investigators

Abstract

A striking effect of some large disasters is that people may organize themselves voluntarily into a group to respond to the disasters. One such group, the "Cajun Navy," emerged in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and re-emerged in response to the 2016 Louisiana floods. The Cajun Navy mobilized again to help with rescues in response to the flooding from Hurricane Harvey; this study seeks to study that mobilization and activity. This research promises two important impacts. First, it will provide valuable information, collected while memories are fresh and participants are available, into how such unofficial organizations can emerge and operate in emergency situations. This is likely to be useful to those involved in emergency management and planning. Second, the development of the Cajun Navy in response to Harvey is an example of the shift of an organization from an emergent phase to an expanding phase. This research will increase understanding of how such transitions can occur. To describe the mobilization and activity of the Cajun Navy, this study will collect three kinds of data. One is publicly available data, such as print and web stories, social media, and government documents. The second is semi-structured interviews with members of the Cajun Navy. The third is interviews with emergency managers and first responders. These multiple perspectives will help the study describe accurately both the activity of the Cajun Navy and the changes in the group. Analysis of the interview data, in particular, will allow investigation of theoretical questions concerning organizational development, such as the effects of social networks and of technology such as social media.