Paved with Good Intentions: A Social Construction Approach to Alignment in Disaster Donations

Abstract

Following disasters, materiel convergence (the influx of materiel donations) can cause extreme negative impacts; it has been described as a “second disaster”. Non-priority goods and donations that exceed the need can negatively impact transportation into the area and create storage concerns for both distribution centers and survivors. A successful supply chain aligns the needs and interests of the actors involved. This paper focuses on how actors involved in the disaster donations supply chain construct and understand their own interests, and how those interests align between actor groups (i.e. donors, donation collectors, and distributors). Interviews were conducted following Hurricane Sandy in 2013 and two tornadoes outside of Oklahoma City in May 2013 with individual actors in the donation supply chain. These interviews were analyzed for how interviewees constructed the need for donations, and the alignment of their interests with other actors at different stages. Overall, a misalignment was observed between donors, donation collectors, and donations distributors. Future research should investigate the specific interests of survivors and how their interests align with other actors in the donation supply chain.