ABSTRACT
This article focuses on evaluation of organizational structure in emergency situations from the communication viewpoints. The communication process in an emergency is analyzed first, then the problems caused in the process are discussed. A communication model is proposed that considers human related factors such as an organization’s “competence,” “duty,” “responsibility,” and “knowledge.” On the basis of the model, a system to evaluate organizational structure in emergency situations from the viewpoint of communication is designed. Finally, a prototype system is developed, and its evaluation results are represented. The article closes with a discussion of how the proposed communication model could be used to aid in the development of group communication support systems for emergency situations.
