Learning before and during the COVID-19 outbreak: a comparative analysis of crisis learning in South Korea and the US

ABSTRACT

Learning is imperative in government responses to crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines the South Korean and United States governments’ responses to COVID-19 from a comparative perspective. The analysis focuses on crisis learning conducted before and during the COVID-19 outbreak, using the conceptual categories of intercrisis/intracrisis learning and single-/double-loop learning. The findings suggest that double-loop, intercrisis learning allows for more effective crisis management by (re)developing a common operating framework. The efficacy of learning is enhanced when double-loop learning is followed by single-loop learning that embeds new structures and operational procedures. The findings also suggest that intercrisis learning facilitates intracrisis learning and that political support is critical for inducing crisis learning. The paper concludes with theoretical and practical implications for crisis learning.

KEYWORDS:

• Crisis learning
• organizational learning
• COVID-19
• pandemic
• comparative analysis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The Global Health Security index framework involves six assessment categories: 1) prevention of the emergence or release of pathogens; 2) early detection and reporting for epidemics of potential international concern; 3) rapid response to and mitigation of the spread of an epidemic; 4) a sufficient and robust health system to treat the sick and protect health workers; 5) commitments to improving national capacity, financing and adherence to norms; and 6) overall risk environment and country vulnerability to biological threats (For more information, see https://www.ghsindex.org/).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Seulki Lee

Seulki Lee, Ph. D. is an assistant professor of public policy in the school of social sciences at Singapore Management University. Her primary research focuses on accountability challenges in collaborative governance. Other research interests include performance management, emergency management, and collective leadership. Her work has appeared in Public Administration Review and the American Review of Public Administration. She received the 2020 Dissertation Award from the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).

Jungwon Yeo

Jungwon Yeo, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of emergency and crisis management and public administration in the school of public administration at the University of Central Florida. Her primary research interests include behaviors, inter-organizational collective action, and decision making in times of crisis and in normal times. Her work has appeared in the American Review of Public Administration, International Journal of Public Administration, Natural Hazards Review, Safety Science, Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and so on. She is a recipient of 2019 Emerald Literati Awards of Excellence, outstanding paper of all published pieces in Online Information Review in 2018.

Chongmin Na

Chongmin Na, PhD, is an assistant professor of Graduate School Public Administration, Seoul National University. His primary interests are crime prevention/control, public safety, and crisis/emergency management. His work has appeared in Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, Journal of Criminal Justice, and the American Review of Public Administration. He received the 2014 Outstanding Article Award and 2017 Outstanding Contribution Award from the American Society of Criminology (ASC).