Dysfunctions in interactions can impede communication between crisis responders. The literature in crisis management partially addresses this practical issue by outlining several types of “breaks” (Milburn, 1983). Breaks refer to social disruptions between organizations involved in crisis response that result in erosion of social links, conflicts amplifications and unstructured responsibilities allocation. However, research falls short of details about specification of these social breaks and how to address them, thereby leaving practitioners who need to handle this issue without clear practical guidelines. We draw on the concept of authority to help dealing with the occurrence of these breaks. The empirical analysis of this article focuses on a cross-border region between France and Germany, that is very likely to encounter inter-organizational breaks. This research in progress will contribute to understand the influence of authority on inter-organizational breaks and crisis response. We discuss the expected contribution of this research.
