Complex network-based research on organization collaboration and cooperation governance responding to COVID-19

Purpose - With multiple-related organizations, worldwide infections, deep economic recession and public disorder, and large consumption amount of anti-epidemic resources, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been defined as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). Nowadays, Wuhan has recovered from the pandemic disaster and reentered normalization. The purposes of this study are to (1) summarize organization collaboration patterns, successful experience and latent defects under across-stage evolution of Wuhan's cooperation governance mode against the pandemic, and on the basis, (2) reveal how the COVID-19 development trends and organizations' collaborative behaviors affected each other. Design/methodology/approach - Detailed content analysis of online news reports covering COVID-19 prevention and control measures on the website of Wuhan Municipal Government was adopted to identify organizations and their mutual collaborative interrelationships. Four complex network (CN) models of organization collaboration representing the outbreak, preliminary control, recession and normalization stages, respectively, were established then. Time-span-based dynamic parameter analyses of the proposed networks, comprising network cohesiveness analysis and node centrality analysis, were undertaken to indicate changes of global and local characteristics in networks. Findings - First, the definite collaborative status of Wuhan Headquarters for Pandemic Prevention and Control (WHPPC) has persisted throughout the period. Medical institutions and some other administrations were the most crucial participants collaborating with the WHPPC. Construction-industry organizations altered pandemic development trends twice to make the situation controllable. Media, large-scale enterprises, etc. set about underscoring themselves contributions since the third stage. Grassroots cadres and healthcare force, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), financial institutions, etc. were essential collaborated objects. Second, four evolution mechanisms of organization collaboration responding to the COVID-19 in Wuhan has been proposed. Research limitations/implications - First, universality of Wuhan-style governance experience may be affected. Second, the stage-dividing process may not be the most appropriate. Then, data source was single and link characteristics were not considered when modeling. Practical implications - This study may offer beneficial action guidelines to governmental agencies, the society force, media, construction-industry organizations and the market in other countries or regions suffering from COVID-19. Other organizations involved could also learn from the concluded organizations' contributions and four evolution mechanisms to find improvement directions. Originality/value - This study adds to the current theoretical knowledge body by verifying the feasibility and effectiveness of investigating cooperation governance in public emergencies from the perspectives of analyzing the across-stage organization collaboration CNs.

Automated summary

This study investigates the collaboration governance mode in Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic. It reveals that the Wuhan Headquarters for Pandemic Prevention and Control (WHPPC) has maintained a strong collaborative status throughout the period, with medical institutions and other administrations as crucial participants. Construction-industry organizations played a key role in altering the pandemic development trends. Media and large-scale enterprises emphasized their contributions in the later stages. Grassroots cadres, healthcare force, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and financial institutions were essential collaborators. The study also proposes four evolution mechanisms of organization collaboration in response to COVID-19 in Wuhan.