Information Sharing in Major Events

This thesis argues that information sharing is crucial for creating and maintaining shared situational awareness in the context of routine operation and incident management at major events. Information sharing and situational awareness are needed for controlling and coordinating individuals from the police, fire, rescue, voluntary groups, organisers and the public, who were typically linked together in this naturalistic context. The research thus focuses on investigating how information sharing influences situational awareness, what motivates information sharing and what tools are used to mediate and control information sharing. Activity theory is utilised as a conceptual framework and as an analytical tool to portray the motivated activity of information sharing. This activity is directed at creating and maintaining shared situational awareness. Recognising this multi-voiced context, the research was founded upon a qualitative and interpretive paradigm. Review of organisational documentation, observation of current practices and interviews were employed to collect information for concerts and baseball matches in Mexico. Data collected were transcribed verbatim and an open, axial and selective coding approach was used to analyse the data. Themes and activity elements were recognised and utilised to uncover links in the light of contextual features to make sense of relationships between them. From those relationships, surface credibility and normative altruism as motivations and situational awareness as an abstract tool are proposed as contributions to knowledge. In addition, the Situational Awareness Modes in Incident Management (SAMIM) model is proposed to frame and exhibit the necessity for individuals to be aware of diverse situations in context. Moreover, the findings have practical implications concerning the development of adequate protocols for managing incidents; improvement of abstract and material tools; and training to tune the coordination and control of individuals serving as incident responders, including the public. This can be done through practice exercises in routine operation and simulated incident management at major events.