The role of videoconferencing in crisis and emergency management

Abstract

This study considers the use of videoconferencing technology for emergency management communication during a crisis and compares it with other more common modes of communicating (eg telephone, radio, SMS, e-mail, etc). It investigates how the medium affects a number of variables including teamwork, participation, feedback and decision making. This is one of the first empirical research projects reporting the impact of this emerging technology on communication during emergencies, and perhaps most significantly, considering when videoconferencing communication options should be considered in emergency planning. This study was designed to learn more about the inherent advantages of videoconferencing technology as a crisis communication modality. The paper reports the cumulative summative findings of the research project, including the results of a research question looking at the fundamental differences between negligible and regular users of videoconference technology. While it is clear that no currently-existing technology can completely achieve the advantages and benefits of well-managed face-to-face team or co-worker interaction during a crisis or emergency, this study finds that videoconferencing is a potentially superior means of crisis and emergency management team interaction and should be preferred over lean channels (eg text or audio only) in a number of situations.