Multilevel Network Governance in Emergency Management

Interorganizational networks have been intensively studied over the past decade in the field of public management (Hu, Khosa, & Kapucu, 2016). Scholars have studied how to govern networks in a wide range of policy and service... [ view full abstract ]

Interorganizational networks have been intensively studied over the past decade in the field of public management (Hu, Khosa, & Kapucu, 2016). Scholars have studied how to govern networks in a wide range of policy and service domains such as human and social services, emergency management, economic development, and environment management (Robins, Bates, & Pattison, 2011; Kapucu, 2006; I. W. Lee, Feiock, & Lee, 2012; Milward, Provan, Fish, Isett, & Huang, 2009). However, existing network research has mostly focus on single-level networks, identifying the central actors and examining the substructures, and structural characteristics of networks (Kapucu, Hu, & Khosa, 2014). Few studies have examined multi-level network governance (Zappa & Lomi, 2015).

This paper aims to fill in the research gap by discussing the multilevel network governance issue in the context of emergency management. Effective emergency management not only requires the intergovernmental coordination, but also requires the engagement of businesses, nonprofit and community-based organizations (Hu, Knox, and Kapucu, 2014). Therefore, emergency management provides a great context to examine multilevel network governance.

This paper is mostly conceptual, with some illustrative examples. This paper first introduces what networks and multilevel networks means in public policy and administration, and addresses why we need to study multilevel networks, and what network governance is. Then it addresses the unique governance issues in multilevel networks. This paper identifies different types of network nodes within the emergency management context and discusses the multiple types of relationships among these nodes, including people, organizations, and emergency functions. Then, it proposes and elaborates on a conceptual framework to understand the multiplex relationships among these nodes at different levels. If further presents new perspectives and approaches to address governance issues in multi-level emergency management networks.

This paper contributes to existing literature by focusing on the complex governance issues within multilevel emergency management networks. The conceptual framework can be used in future empirical studies and can shed light on studying multilevel governance issues in other contexts.