Conceptualizing Emergency Operations Centres as Teams: A Review of Teamwork and Information Sharing in Crisis Management (2014–2024)

During crises, efficient coordination, information sharing, and decision-making are critical but difficult to achieve due to the complexity and uncertainty. This review aims to describe how Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) can be conceptualized as a team with particular attention to teamwork and information sharing during crisis management. A literature review was conducted by searches across PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science, resulting in 42 papers identified for review, whereof 69% were published within the last 5 years. Most studies were performed in Sweden, the USA, the Netherlands and Germany, with the majority published in the ISCRAM conference proceedings and The Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management. The analysis resulted in six prerequisites essential for real teamwork. This suggests that research in the field of EOC could benefit from integrating perspectives from team and teamwork theory, thereby facilitating a more structured comprehension of work processes, responsibilities and roles. The findings indicate the need to cultivate a culture within EOCs that promotes desirable values and behaviours, and to establish shared goals. Equally important are clear routines for translating knowledge into practice, and work processes supporting long-term knowledge development. Such team culture and routines can help stabilize interactions in an unstable environment. As crisis management increasingly relies on technology, developing competencies, infrastructure and adaptive capacity are essential. Future research could examine how shared values, behavioural norms and team cultures emerge within EOCs, and how these influence system-wide resilience. Research could explore how technological innovations interact with organizational structures, and how EOCs can integrate new tools without disrupting coordination practices.