Abstract for: Analysis of Causal Loop Structure in Hospital Staff Management during pandemic: Insights for Business Continuity

This study conducted a causal loop diagram analysis based on literature review and government and hospital’s policy on infectious disease response and prior studies to derive a staffing management plan that can effectively maintain business continuity in the context of infectious diseases. The causal loop diagram consists of a total of 6 reinforcing loops and 3 balancing loops, and we discussed the themes related to structure of existing strategies, and the themes related to emerging problems and solutions. The main results and implications are as follows. It was confirmed that the infection response and the business continuity in hospitals have a feedback structure, and hospitals and staff function with self-reinforcing growth structures as independent entities and mutually beneficial growth structures simultaneously. These results suggest that a solution that does not have a mutually beneficial growth structures for staff will eventually bring a vicious cycle to the hospital’s entire system, even in preparing a solution to the staff shortage in the context of infectious diseases. In addition to the fundamental and temporary solutions, from the perspective of the Business Continuity Management System (BCMS), adjusting the goal may be useful as a compromise. These results and implications provide simulation modelling direction.