Cooperation and resilience in remote communities. A case study of cooperation and resilience for emergency preparedness organizations on Svalbard

Abstract

This study seeks to look at how cooperation can facilitate resilience for emergency preparedness organization in remote communities, illustrated through the emergency preparedness actors in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Advocates of resilience argue that in a high risk environment, resilience is necessary for organization to avoid potential disasters and to prevent smaller events from escalating (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2007). Other scholars have shown that to cooperate is both more expedient, as well as more effective than attempting to solve a situation alone (J. Berlin & Carlström, 2013; Jamal & Getz, 1995). The aim of this study is to develop new knowledge around cooperation and how it can facilitate for building resilience in an emergency preparedness context. In order to do so I present the research problem: How can cooperation facilitate resilience for emergency preparedness organizations in remote communities?

The research project has been carried out through field work divided into three field trips to Svalbard between December 2018 and June 2019. In order to answer the research problem, a qualitative approach has been used. Interviews have been conducted with informants from some of the most important emergency preparedness organizations on Svalbard. These include the Governor of Svalbard, Longyearbyen Local Government, Longyearbyen Red Cross Relief Corps, Lufttransport AS and Xpolar. Furthermore, data has been collected from participatory observation from exercise Dark Season, a search and rescue mission and document analyses. The data has been analysed and discussed up against established theory of resilience through characteristics of high reliability organizations and theory about cooperation.

The conclusion points towards the daily cooperation enabling them to cover their own limitations and contributing with their strengths. The emergency preparedness organizations are able to stay resilient thanks to the good cooperation between the actors. The key factors for the cooperation are their informal relationships and the inherent expertise that is present on the archipelago. This allows them to develop trust amongst each other and to communicate more effectively through direct, often informal lines. The expertise present is highly valued regardless of where it is coming from. As the emergency preparedness actors know and trust each other, they are more likely to work together. When they work together, they are able to use this expertise as effectively as possible and facilitate resilience.