Percolation, temporal coherence of information, and crisis prevention
Résumé
In this paper, we study the potential benefits of using percolation theory and temporal coherence in the domain of emergency management. We argue that the theory of percolation associated with the time coherence of information could be useful in defining efficient organizational patterns for crisis prevention, and we propose a set of six hypotheses to assess the efficiency of an emergency management organization. In order to validate our hypotheses, we explore the organizational patterns that were set up by a company located in Port au Prince, the capital of Haïti, during the 2010 earthquake. This research was done on the basis of interviews of the key people involved in this event. Among the many tasks achieved by the company's managers and staff to control the situation, we identified the root of that successful management. We argue that this organizational pattern can be analyzed as a percolation process that validates our hypotheses for an efficient management of this critical situation.