Social and financial aid for disaster relief operations using CSR and crowdfunding

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 732-759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek Behl ◽  
Pankaj Dutta

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the interlinkages between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and crowdfunding in the context of disaster relief operations (DRO). It intends to explore how information quality moderates the relationship of CSR and crowdfunding to achieve financial and social stability. The study also controls variables such as type of disaster, size of the firm and sector to which the firms belong while drawing implications. Design/methodology/approach The study collects empirical data in an Indian context through a structured questionnaire. The respondents belong to organizations which made a financial contribution toward DRO during the past decade (2008–2018). The sample size for data analysis is 232 responses belonging to different industries like plastic, chemical, textile and apparel, automotive parts and electronics, and construction. The study employs partial least squares structural equation modeling for testing the hypothesis. Findings Results indicate a positive effect of CSR activities on donation-based crowdfunding to achieve financial and social normalcy in a DRO. CSR can thus be used as an alternate way to support DRO. Results also reveal that quality of information positively impacts the relationship between crowdfunding and social aid as well as financial aid offered to the victims of the disasters. It is further observed that the type of disaster accounts for the inflow and frequency of funds made by companies as a part of their CSR activities. Research limitations/implications The study restricts its analysis to CSR contributions made by Indian firms for DRO in an Indian context. While the study is centered in an Indian context, it holds strong implications by offering guidelines and framework for integrating funds of the government, CSR contributions of companies and donations made by citizens. The outcome also provokes thoughts on testing the results with multiple disasters across the globe in order to validate the findings and possibly extend them. Originality/value The approach of the study holds a unique slot in understanding concepts relating to CSR, crowdfunding and information science literature in the context of DRO. The study offers unique contribution in making the readers aware how CSR funds, when guided through a donation-based crowdfunding platform can help achieve social and financial aid for the victims of natural disaster.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek Behl ◽  
Meena Chavan ◽  
Kokil Jain ◽  
Isha Sharma ◽  
Vijay Edward Pereira ◽  
...  

PurposeThe study explores the readiness of government agencies to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the efficiency of disaster relief operations (DRO). For understanding the behavior of state-level and national-level government agencies involved in DRO, this study grounds its theoretical arguments on the civic voluntarism model (CVM) and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT).Design/methodology/approachWe collected the primary data for this study from government agencies involved in DRO in India. To test the proposed theoretical model, we administered an online survey questionnaire to 184 government agency employees. To test the hypotheses, we employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsOur findings confirm that resources (time, money and skills) significantly influence the behavioral intentions related to the adoption of AI tools for DRO. Additionally, we identified that the behavioral intentions positively translate into the actual adoption of AI tools.Research limitations/implicationsOur study provides a unique viewpoint suited to understand the context of the adoption of AI in a governmental context. Companies often strive to invest in state-of-the-art technologies, but it is important to understand how government bodies involved in DRO strategize to adopt AI to improve efficiency.Originality/valueOur study offers a fresh perspective in understanding how the organizational culture and perspectives of government officials influence their inclinations to adopt AI for DRO. Additionally, it offers a multidimensional perspective by integrating the theoretical frameworks of CVM and UTAUT for a greater understanding of the adoption and deployment of AI tools with organizational culture and voluntariness as critical moderators.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 269-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Cozzolino ◽  
Ewa Wankowicz ◽  
Enrico Massaroni

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the contribution of logistics service providers’ (LSPs) initiatives to disaster relief and how LSPs are engaged with humanitarian sector. In recent years, the importance of logistics services in disaster relief operations and the capacity of LSPs to improve humanitarian supply chain management have become an increasingly interesting topic for both professionals and academics. Design/methodology/approach This research follows a qualitative approach based on multiple case studies. Findings The current research, after considering the differences and similarities among collaboration, cooperation and coordination and underlining how crucial these mechanisms are in the humanitarian context, explains the contribution of LSPs to relief operations alongside humanitarians. Research limitations/implications There has been increased interest in humanitarian logistics on the part of international academic and professional communities. This study constitutes a first exploratory step in the research to build a platform for benchmarking analysis of logistics services that aims to ensure the effective implementation of social responsibility principles. Practical implications The managerial implications arising from the research offer a range of current responsible actions from which strategic and operative directions to contribute can be derived. Originality/value Humanitarian logistics represents a crucial field in logistics management. This paper addresses the innovative socially responsible initiatives undertaken by the main international LSPs in the area of humanitarian logistics.


Author(s):  
Ayşenur Şahin ◽  
Mustafa Alp Ertem ◽  
Emel Emür

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of freight containers to store relief items instead of operating a permanent warehouse building. Design/methodology/approach – A mathematical model is developed to determine the location and quantity of containers as well as the type and amount of relief supplies to store in order to investigate the practicality of using freight containers for storage. The model is tested using earthquake risk data, estimates of population under risk, and the distances between cities. An experimental study is performed using Turkish Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (abbreviated as AFAD in Turkish) data for total number of relief supplies. Findings – Considering the earthquake risk of possible locations, the results of the study indicate the target locations for containers. The idea of using containers as storage facilities helped beneficiaries to be reached within a short distance and in an efficient way. Research limitations/implications – The presented model is not implemented in real life disaster relief operations even if it is tested with real earthquake risk, demand and distance data. Practical implications – To apply this model in practice, the container locations within cities should be determined and managerial operations such as maintenance, environmental, and security planning have to be considered. Originality/value – This study presents the first analysis of three sub-topics’ intersection: warehousing, pre-positioning in disaster relief, and containerization. To the best of authors’ knowledge, containers have not been considered for storage of relief items in humanitarian logistics before.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amin Maghsoudi ◽  
Mohammad Moshtari

PurposeThis paper identifies the challenges during a recent disaster relief operation in a developing country where the humanitarian response is dominated by national actors, with international actors having a minor role.Design/methodology/approachA case study design is used; the main data sources are semi-structured interviews with 43 informants involved in the 2017 Kermanshah earthquake relief operation.FindingsThe findings suggest that humanitarian practitioners deal with multiple challenges during disaster relief operations. One group of challenges relates to humanitarian logistics (HL) like needs assessment, procurement, warehousing, transportation and distribution, all widely discussed in the literature. Another involves the growing use of social media, legitimacy regulations and the engagement of new humanitarian actors (HAs) like social media activists and celebrities. These factors have not been extensively studied in the literature; given their growing influence, they require more scholarly attention.Practical implicationsThe findings will help humanitarian practitioners and policymakers better understand the challenges involved in disaster relief operations conducted by multiple actors and thus help them improve their practices, including the creation of proper regulations, policies and logistics strategies.Originality/valueThe study uses primary data on a recent disaster to assess and extend the findings of previous studies regarding HL challenges. It also elaborates on the critical non-logistical challenges that influence aid delivery in emergency responses, including the growth of social media, regulations and the engagement of new HAs. The results may motivate future empirical and modelling studies to investigate the identified challenges and identify practices to mitigate them.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 583-604
Author(s):  
The Nguyen Huynh ◽  
Nguyen Thuy An Hua

PurposeThis study examines the relationship between task-oriented leadership style, psychological capital, job satisfaction and organizational commitment: evidence from Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises.Design/methodology/approachThe method employed in the research is the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for testing hypotheses of data collected from a sample of 800 employees working in small and medium-sized enterprises in Vietnam.FindingsThe results show that the task-oriented leadership style has a positive impact on organizational commitment, limits job satisfaction and no obvious association with the psychological capital of employees. Besides, job satisfaction and psychological capital play an important role in the organizational commitment of employees in small and medium-sized enterprises of Vietnam.Originality/valueThis paper aims to shed light on a less fully explored topic for organizational behavior in small and medium-sized enterprises in emerging markets like Vietnam. In contrast to extensive studies on the participative and supportive leader, this study focuses on task-oriented leadership style in the testing and analysis to understand the theory of leadership style, psychological capital, job satisfaction and organizational commitment in emerging markets and provides more knowledge on employee behavior management for companies in Vietnam. This is a unique contribution to the original value of this article.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anil Kumar ◽  
Rohit Kr Singh

PurposeThe study aims to examine the relationship between retailer's performance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in Indian context. The article introduces a new conceptual model considering the parameters as per the stakeholder theory perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted empirical research with CSR practices (CSRP) and other parameters to evaluate the retailers' performance using stakeholder theory. The authors present the results from 292 valid responses from the Indian retailers. The study used structured equation modeling (SEM) to present the analysis and the results.FindingsFindings indicate that CSRP along with additional constructs loyalty (L), reputation (R), customer satisfaction (CS) and competitive advantage (CA) have positive and significant impact on organizational performance (OP).Practical implicationsThe framework will serve as a guiding tool to the management of the retail outlets to examine carefully the link among CSRP with other variables presented in the study and subsequently to the retail outlet performance. The retailers must be more focused on the expectations and demands of the customers concerning products and services for better growth of the firms.Originality/valueThe uniqueness of the study lies in “CSR practices enabled integrated model” to examine the performance of the organizations. The proposed theoretical model would add value to the existing literature to help the retailers in process of their performance improvement.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sachin Agarwal ◽  
Ravi Kant ◽  
Ravi Shankar

Purpose This study proposed a mathematical model for decision-making in the pre- and post-disaster phases. This research aims to develop a mathematical model for three important fields in the context of humanitarian logistics; stock prepositioning, facility location and evacuation planning in the humanitarian supply chain (HSC) network design. Design/methodology/approach This study applied three optimization techniques; classical approach (CA), pattern search algorithm (PSA) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) to solve the proposed mathematical model. The proposed mathematical model attempts to minimize the total relief items supply chain cost and evacuation chain cost of the HSC. A real case study of cyclone Fani, 2019 in Orissa, India is applied to validate the proposed mathematical model and to show the performance of the model. Findings The results demonstrate that heuristic approach; PSA performs better and optimal solutions are obtained in almost all the cases as compared to the GA and CA. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to deterministic demands in the affected regions, and different scenarios of the disaster events are not considered. Social implications The finding reveals that the proposed model can help the humanitarian stakeholders in making decisions on facility location, relief distribution and evacuation planning in disaster relief operations. Originality/value The results of this study may offer managerial insights to practitioners and humanitarian logisticians who are engaged in HSC implementation.


Subject Military prospects. Significance Haiti ended on July 25 a week-long drive for 500 recruits to fill the ranks of its newly resurrected military. The revival of the country’s army, the functions of which will largely relate to anti-smuggling and disaster relief operations, comes in the context of the withdrawal of a long-standing UN peacekeeping force in October. The government argues that the new force will be necessary to provide security in the UN’s absence. However, weak oversight mechanisms, widespread corruption and a long history of military intervention in Haitian politics, mean that the force is more likely to disrupt than improve the domestic security environment. Impacts The force’s size and lack of experience will limit its effectiveness in dealing with smuggling and disaster relief operations. Haitian army patrols along the Dominican border will increase the risk of perceived smugglers and migrants being shot. The creation of an army will divert funds and personnel away from the country’s already underperforming police force.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek Behl ◽  
Pankaj Dutta ◽  
Pratima Sheorey ◽  
Rajesh Kumar Singh

PurposeThe study explores the role of dialogic public communication and information quality (IQ) in evaluating the operational performance of donation-based crowdfunding (DBC) tasks. These tasks are primarily used to support disaster relief operations. The authors also test the influence of cognitive trust and swift trust as moderating variables in explaining the relationship between both IQ and dialogic communication with operational performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a primary survey to test the hypotheses. A total of 203 responses were collected from multiple crowdfunding platforms. The authors used archival data from task creators on donation-based crowdfunding platforms, and a structured questionnaire is also used to collect responses. Data are analyzed using Warp PLS 6.0. Warp PLS 6.0 works on the principle of partial least square (PLS) structured equation modeling (SEM) and has been used widely to test path analytical models.FindingsThe authors found out that the operational performance is explained significantly by the quality of information and its association with dialogic public communication. The results support the arguments offered by dialogic public communication theory and trust transfer theory in assessing the operational success of DBC. The study also confirms that cognitive trust positively moderates the relationship between IQ and organizational public dialogic communication and operational performance. It is also revealed that the duration of the DBC task has no significant control over dialogic public communication.Practical implicationsThe study lays practical foundations for task creators on DBC platforms and website designers as it sets the importance of both IQ and dialogic communication channels. The communication made by the task creator and/or the DBC platforms with the donors and potential donors in the form of timely and appropriate information forms the key to the success of any DBC task. The study also helps task creators choose a suitable platform to improve performance.Originality/valueThe authors propose a unique framework by integrating two theoretical perspectives: dialogic public relation theory and trust transfer theory in understanding the operational performance of donation-based crowdfunding tasks. The authors address DBC tasks catering to disaster relief operations by collecting responses from task creators on DBC platforms. The study uniquely positions itself in the area of information and communication.


Author(s):  
Jennifer Bealt ◽  
Jair Camilo Fernández Barrera ◽  
S. Afshin Mansouri

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore barriers and benefits of establishing relationships between humanitarian organizations (HOs) and logistics service providers (LSPs) in order to improve humanitarian disaster relief operations (DROs). The perceptions of a variety of actors are explored to determine key factors which influence collaboration. Design/methodology/approach – This study comprises of qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches. A comprehensive literature review was undertaken alongside an online survey with a variety of respondents. Descriptive statistics, data visualization and qualitative data analysis were implemented to analyse survey results. A follow-up survey and interviews with LSPs validated the results. Findings – The research presents the opinions of a variety of actors involved in DROs and reveals barriers which affect HO/LSP collaboration. Explanations for these barriers and possible solutions to mitigate them are disclosed. The findings also uncover gaps between research and practice; providing new insights into behaviour in the humanitarian field. Practical implications – The authors provide an in-depth understanding of the barriers and challenges faced in this field and suggest a reevaluation of corporate decision making in order to increase trust between LSPs and HOs. The authors identify future research topics including the impact of donors and military organizations on HO decision making, and analysis of variables which may affect the formation of collaborative partnerships. Originality/value – The authors introduce a unique empirical insight into the perspectives of HOs, LSPs and academics and offers suggestions for mitigating the numerous barriers associated with successful collaborative partnerships between HOs and LSPs.


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