EXPRESS: Research Opportunities in Disaster Warning Signals from an Operations Management Perspective

Effectively utilization of disaster warning signals is crucial for mitigating impacts and enhancing operational resilience in disaster management. Although an emerging area of scholarly interest, the literature remains fragmented and lacking a unifying framework to guide research and practice. To consolidate knowledge and direct future research, this study conducts a systematic review of the literature on disaster warning signal research published in leading journals in operations management, management science, operations research, and related supply chain and logistics. Building upon the classic communication model proposed by Shannon, this study develops a conceptual framework for systematically classifying the relevant literature according to three dimensions of a warning signal: (1) signal type (natural, engineering, behavioral, informational, composite), (2) signal transmission (source, channel, receiver) and (3) signal purpose (directing the response of the authority, guiding the protection of the public). We then cross-tabulate this framework with the disaster management domain (e.g., disaster phase, type, and function) and the data domain (e.g., data type, analytics techniques). By synthesizing academic contributions with practical challenges, we articulate the specific value that operations management research on warning signals offers to disaster management practice. Finally, we propose a structured agenda for future research focused on the intersections of signal, disaster, and data domains.