Abstract
Purpose. This study explores how the Los Angeles County response to the COVID-19 crisis, led by the Department of Public Health, attempted to achieve multiple critical goals during the pandemic. This research highlights the various inter-organizational network arrangements in response to the shared crisis between the county, cities, and other public/private organizations, examining the possibility of new arrangements as a network response to shared crisis conditions.
Theoretical Framework. The study builds upon the emergency and disaster management frameworks while exploring the network exchange theory's importance in understanding the evidence thoroughly. The analysis anticipates results by using the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior. The study defines the research results by examining the data through Power and Politics Organization and Decision-Making Theories.
Methodology. The research utilizes a series of publicly available documents gathered from Los Angeles County and the various incorporated cities within. The study includes artifacts, including staff reports, city council agendas, contract documents, scans of letters, video, audio, meeting minutes, policies, and referendums, gathered from the city websites contracting with the LACDPH during the emergency.
Findings for Academic Knowledge. This study expands the research on disaster management communications by studying the network responses during the COVID-19 epidemic in Los Angeles County. The study provides new data on actual disaster networking practices during a crisis - methods between cities-county during a disaster, crisis management, and reactions to the changes in pre-established systems.
Findings for Practitioners/Policy/People. The study examined government organization network practices dealing with crises growing in number and intensity. It focused on responses to COVID-19 and found that the future disaster management network structure among municipalities in L.A. County was designed for inter-organizational cooperation.
Recommendations. Many aspects of the COVID-19 crisis still need to be explored further. The data within this research can help form a more holistic view of the disaster management responses for those who study the impact of this disaster in the future. By utilizing this research data, Practitioners can assess their preparedness through the lens of a disaster, giving further credence to their policies. Policymakers can use this research to form better policies for disaster networks.