Analyzing the interorganizational collaborations in crisis management in coping with COVID-19 using social network analysis: Case of Iran

Mehrdad Agha Mohammad Ali Kermani, PhD; Mehrdad Maghsoudi, MS; Mohammad Sadeghi Hamedani, MSc; Atieh Bozorgipour, PhD

doi:10.5055/jem.0623

Authors

Mehrdad Agha Mohammad Ali Kermani, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2972-5852
Mehrdad Maghsoudi, MS
Mohammad Sadeghi Hamedani, MSc
Atieh Bozorgipour, PhD

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.0623

Keywords:

public health, crisis management, corona virus, COVID-19, interorganizational collaborations network, social network analysis

Abstract

On January 7, a novel coronavirus, originally abbreviated as 2019-nCoV by World Health Organization, was identified from the throat swab sample of a patient. The virus and its related disease (COVID-19) rapidly spread throughout the world and lead to a global pandemic. Iran as a developing country and one of the most populated countries in the area is dealing with the mentioned crisis. The main objective of the present work is to assess the status of interorganizational collaborations between Iranian organizations in fighting with COVID-19. We utilized social network analysis tools and methods to examine the characteristics of interorganizational collaborations network. Data were gathered through content analysis of seven of the most well-known Iranian news websites. So, the interorganizational collaborations networks between Iranian organizations and its subnetworks are identified, and their characteristics are obtained. Some of the network’s features like degree distribution and homophily have been found and analyzed. The most important organizations are identified based on different centrality measures. It is necessary to mention that Basij and the National Committee on combatting corona have a fundamental role in fighting coronavirus in Iran. Also, some of the network-based evidences as the cause of Iran’s success in fighting COVID-19 have been found.

Author Biographies

Mehrdad Agha Mohammad Ali Kermani, PhD

Assistant Professor, School of Management, Economics and Progress Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

Mehrdad Maghsoudi, MS

School of Management and Accounting, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran

Mohammad Sadeghi Hamedani, MSc

School of Management, Economics and Progress Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

Atieh Bozorgipour, PhD

School of Management and Industrial Engineering, Malek-Ashtar University of Technology, Shahin Shahr, Iran

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