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Beyond Rationality: Information Design for Supporting Emergent Groups in Emergency Response

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Supporting Real Time Decision-Making

Part of the book series: Annals of Information Systems ((AOIS,volume 13))

Abstract

Acknowledging that real-time information is central to emergency response, we advocate that information provided to decision makers – especially the emergent groups who happen to be at the crisis scene and are called upon to help under extraordinary conditions – should not just be designed to support ­problem-solving in a rational behaviour. Based on a framework of cognitive, affective and situational information support, we call for inclusion of information that helps deal with emotion and stress, reinforces motivation to help, and nurtures a sense of altruism. To illustrate our discussion, we sketch a set of information templates as successive conceptual instantiations of our theoretical exploration. As authorities are still debating on how to use emergent groups effectively, our attempt to outline a foundation of information analysis beyond the rational decision-making paradigm is a systematic and necessary step towards effective decision support to the volunteer-helpers.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pacific Research Institute for Information Systems Management (PRIISM), Shidler College of Business, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Tung X. Bui & Ina Sebastian

Authors
  1. Tung X. Bui
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  2. Ina Sebastian
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Correspondence to Tung X. Bui .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Monash University, Caulfield East, Victoria, Australia

    Frada Burstein

  2. LIP 6, Université Paris VI, place Jussieu 4, Paris CX 05, 75252, France

    Patrick Brézillon

  3. School of Computer Science &, Software Engineering, Monash University, Dandenong Road 900, Caulfield East, 3145, Victoria, Australia

    Arkady Zaslavsky

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Bui, T.X., Sebastian, I. (2011). Beyond Rationality: Information Design for Supporting Emergent Groups in Emergency Response. In: Burstein, F., Brézillon, P., Zaslavsky, A. (eds) Supporting Real Time Decision-Making. Annals of Information Systems, vol 13. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7406-8_8

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