PI: Dr. Marya Doerfel, co-PI: Dr. Matthew Weber
Introduction
As the leader or owner of your business/organization, we are seeking information about the organization-level communication activities your organization has been engaging in since Superstorm Sandy. Before you agree to represent your organization in this study, you should know enough about it to make an informed decision. If you have any questions, please ask the investigator. You should be satisfied with the answers they provide before you agree to be in the study. The goal of the study is to find out how various organizations (such as small businesses, churches, larger corporations, community groups, etc.) are getting themselves back to routine business functioning since the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy. We are interested in learning what sorts of information resources were helpful, information and resources that were missing, challenges affecting your organization’s return to normal operations, and your organization’s related social media uses.
Background / Purpose
The purpose of this study is to gather information on the ways a variety of organizations managed their return following Superstorm Sandy as well as over the course of their subsequent recovery and rebuilding efforts. We have a particular interest in how uses of social media and organization-level partnering (e.g., strategic alliances; information sharing; membership in professional associations or community organizations) change over time in the short-run and long-run after the storm. Using data collected from as many organizations from your community as possible, we will develop models of information sharing and engagement in terms of organization-level and community-level resilience. We expect to identify when and under what circumstances social media are effective in helping organizations reconnect with their broader network of partners. Such information will be used in reports made available through academic journals and government reports. We will share discoveries with your town’s Chamber of Commerce.