Fighting SARS with a Hastily Formed Network

Globalization and advanced Information and Communication Technologies have enhanced the role of networking between organizations in business and public sectors. Examples of public networking are disaster relief (Stephenson, 2004), disease control management, military (coalition-based) campaigns (Alberts, Garstka, & Stein, 2000), and law enforcement. We discuss the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) case to learn how global interorganizational networks can be successfully instantiated. The purpose of this study is to improve our understanding of interorganizational network instantiation and to examine some mechanisms leading to successful interorganizational network performance. The paper is structured as follows. First, we present briefly the SARS case. Next, we discuss the concept of hastily formed networks and some concepts that have been introduced by Hagel and Brown (2005). Finally, we analyze the SARS case with these concepts and draw some lessons from the case study.