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PurposeThis study hypothesizes the limitations of standardization as an interoperability development tool within emergency management.Design/methodology/approachPragmatism and Morgan's seminal organizational metaphors inform the conceptualization of the Interoperability Orange metaphor using symbolic logic and visual imagery.FindingsThe essence of standardization is homogeneity. Within emergency management, it is commonplace to develop legislation to standardize policies, procedures, training, equipment and terminology to engender interoperability among first responder and associated organizations. Standardization is achievable with similar or a small number of organizations. However, it is unlikely, if not impossible, in the context of disasters and catastrophes, given the broad range of organizations, groups and individuals typically involved. This diversity of cultures, subcultures, norms, values and indigenous and technical languages intimates that standardization is counterintuitive, particularly in disasters and catastrophes. The posited Interoperability Orange metaphor demonstrates that standardization as a policy, though desired, is theoretically unobtainable in enlarging multiorganizational environments. Thus, new perspectives, policies and solutions for interoperability are needed.Originality/valueThe posited theory builds on the growing body of metaphor-based emergency management research. The Interoperability Orange provides an accessible and easy-to-use communicative tool that aids theoretical cognition – notably within multicultural English as a Second Language environments – as it enables a deeper more critical and explicit understanding of the limits of standardization expressed via metaphor, symbolic logic and imagery.

Abstract
As a child in Malmesbury, Thomas Hobbes had an opportunity to observe many of the social and political phenomena that he considered in his later work. Contemporary sources reveal that Hobbes lived in a community that was wracked by marked animosity between different social groups, frequent disorder and a lack of consensus about the legitimacy of local political institutions. There was tension between the town's elite and a proletariat of impoverished workers. Different members of the elite clashed, sometimes violently, as they competed for local ascendancy. Hobbes's extended family was heavily involved in these events. His hometown was deeply troubled. It was also a place where people had access to some "political" vocabulary which they used when describing their discontents and conflicts. The possible influence of Hobbes's early experiences on his intellectual development has attracted little previous attention.

Abstract
Understanding the health effects of disasters is critical for effective preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. However, research is negatively impacted by both the limited availability of disaster data and the difficulty of identifying and utilizing disaster specific and health data sources relevant to disaster research and management. In response to numerous requests from disaster researchers, emergency managers, and operational response organizations, 73 distinct data sources at the intersection of disasters and health were compiled and categorized. These data sources generally cover the entire United States, address both disasters and health, and are available to researchers at little or no cost. Data sources are described and characterized to support improved research and guide evidence-based decision making. Current gaps and potential solutions are presented to improve disaster data collection, utilization, and dissemination.

The aim of this study is to critically evaluate the sinking of the MV Sewol and the CS Bulgaria to determine key latent failures, lessons learned, and risk accountability. This inductive study combines pragmatism with a cross-case synthesis method and computer-assisted content analysis using the Atlas.ti software package. This study critically evaluated the MV Sewol sinking at Jodo-myeon, South Korea on April 16, 2014, and the sinking of the CS Bulgaria at Tartarsan, Russia, July 10, 2011 using a cross-case synthesis method. Computer-assisted content analysis resulted in 21 codes which were clustered into four categories and one core theme, namely latent failures. These findings inform five recommendations for isomorphic learning, additional disaster-specific education, training provision and oversight, enhanced vessel monitoring and inspection, and legal clarification of risk accountability.