Network Features and Processes as Determinants of Organizational Interaction during Extreme Events

Abstract

Despite the widely acknowledged importance of collaboration among participants in governance networks, a limited number of studies have attempted to statistically model the processes by which those networks form. In this article, we explore a range of network features and processes and measure their influence on network formation. We examine the case of Hurricane Katrina and employ exponential random graph models to identify the drivers of network formation in extreme events. We find that both the attributes of individual organizations and endogenous network processes affect organizational collaboration. Understanding these factors is important because the structure of the response network influences information flow, resource exchange, and performance.