An automated quantitative content analysis process for humanitarian logistics research

Purpose: Access to high-quality data is a challenge for humanitarian logistics researchers. However, humanitarian organizations publish large quantities of documents for various stakeholders. Researchers can use these as secondary data, but interpreting big volumes of text is time consuming. The purpose of this paper is to present an automated quantitative content analysis (AQCA) approach that allows researchers to analyze such documents quickly and reliably. Design/methodology/approach: Content analysis is a method to facilitate a systematic description of documents. This paper builds on an existing content analysis method, to which it adds automated steps for processing large quantities of documents. It also presents different measures for quantifying the content of documents. Findings: The AQCA approach has been applied successfully in four papers. For example, it can identify the main theme in a document, categorize documents along different dimensions, or compare the use of a theme in different documents. This paper also identifies several limitations of content analysis in the field of humanitarian logistics research and suggests ways to mitigate them. Research limitations/implications: The AQCA approach does not provide an exhaustive qualitative analysis of documents. Instead, it aims to analyze documents quickly and reliably to extract the contents’ quantifiable aspects. Originality/value: Although content analysis has been used in humanitarian logistics research before, no paper has yet proposed an automated, step-by-step approach that researchers can use. It also is the first study to discuss specific limitations of content analysis in the context of humanitarian logistics

Cracking the humanitarian logistic coordination challenge: lessons from the urban search and rescue community

The challenges of achieving successful inter‐agency logistic coordination in preparing for and responding to natural disasters and complex emergencies are both well understood and well documented. However, although many of these challenges remain unresolved, the literature reveals that the organisations that form the urban search and rescue (USAR) community have attained a high level of coherence and interoperability that results in a highly efficient and effective response. Therefore, this paper uses the idea of ‘borrowing’ from other fields as it explores how the processes and procedures used by the USAR community might be applied to improve humanitarian logistic operations. The paper analyses the USAR model and explores how the resultant challenges might be addressed in a humanitarian logistic context. The paper recommends that further research be undertaken in order to develop a modified USAR model that could be operationalised by the international community of humanitarian logisticians.Griffith Business School, Department of International Business and Asian StudiesFull Tex

Exploring the microfoundations of dynamic capabilities for social innovation in a humanitarian aid supply network setting

This paper explores the microfoundations of the dynamics capabilities (DCs) needed for social innovation in a humanitarian aid context. We aim to reveal how humanitarian aid supply networks should develop DCs to achieve social innovation by meeting societal needs in highly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments. We conducted a qualitative content analysis on the activities of Logistics Cluster (LC), which is an organization that coordinates and guides local and international organizations to support worldwide humanitarian aid interventions. We primarily examined the LC's lessons-learned reports, supported by semi-structured interviews with the managers of LC and its supply network members. The findings revealed that: (i) early anticipation of needs in disaster-affected areas and lessons-learned exercises are the microfoundations of sensing capabilities; (ii) building capacity, supply network service provision, collaboration with logistics service providers, local partner engagement, building trust, and reconciliation are the microfoundations of seizing capabilities; and (iii) coordination and adaptability are the microfoundations of reconfiguring capabilities in the humanitarian aid context. Additionally, we identified relevant microprocesses for this context, which are preparing, engaging, strengthening, streamlining, and responding. Based on these findings, we propose a framework for social innovation in highly dynamic settings