GIS in Emergency Management Cultures: An Empirical Approach to Understanding Inter- and Intra-agency Communication During Emergencies

Technology usage, geographic information systems in particular, has been steadily increasing in the public sector over the past 30 years. During this time, policy makers have shifted attention away from the implementation of technology towards understanding the characteristics of organizational cultures in efforts to establish more effective and efficient technological approaches in response to disaster situations. Geographic information systems (GIS) deliver pertinent spatial data in a visually appealing and effective manner. A multidisciplinary team participated in a research effort to identify the differing aspects of GIS in disaster situations. Research findings are provided along with future implications and recommendations for understanding organizational cultures; a necessary step for increasing the effectiveness of first response agencies during the numerous phases of emergency operations. Detailing the initial steps of the learning process, this article lays the groundwork for future research efforts.