Boundary Stories : Exploring Storytelling as a Tool for Inter-Organizational Learning of Crisis Response Capabilities
Abstract: Given the unique nature of crises, a key capability of the crisis response system is to facilitate adaptive response structures in relation to the circumstances of any given crisis. This thesis views the crisis response system as complex adaptive system, in which adaptive response is an emergent phenomenon that occurs through the interactions of crisis response organizations within the crisis response system. Training cooperative capabilities needed to foster adaptive crisis response has proven difficult, as well as reporting learnings from collaborative exercises in a useful manner. Based in these challenges, this thesis aims to investigate the potential of using boundary stories as pedagogical tools for learning of inter-organizational cooperative capabilities. This exploration is structured in relation to three research questions: 1. How can inter-organizational boundaries be described through the lens of systems theory? 2. What can be learned from inter-organizational work during the Covid-19 pandemic to facilitate learning of cooperative capabilities within the crisis response system? 3. How can boundary stories be empirically defined and constructed to capture learnings and experiences from inter-organizational boundary work during crises? It is suggested that inter-organizational boundaries be described as the interactional connections between crisis response organizations through which the organizations communicate and cooperate. Boundary structures can further be understood as one of four types of bureaucratic adaptation, as a function of structure and tasks. The Covid-19 pandemic has produced entirely new circumstances in relation to how crises are usually thought of within the crisis response system. The long timeframe of the pandemic has forced integrations of crisis and everyday structures, thus producing entirely new inter-organizational structures. The core challenge in establishing these structures is fostering a common understanding between the involved actors. Finally, a two-part concept of boundary stories and boundary narratives are suggested. The first refers to the enacted living story of the inter-organizational structure, and the latter refers to a simplified, constructed narrative version of the story with the purpose of mediating the experiences of inter-organizational work in an understandable manner to actors not directly involved in the boundary setting to foster learning of cooperative capabilities for future crisis response.
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