Hyper-volunteerism is an overwhelming response to the need for volunteers, especially during a crisis. It emerges from a shared concern about catastrophic outcomes and suffering.
Published in Chapter:
Local Lessons During a Global Crisis: Inclusive Entrepreneurial Solutions to Supply Chain and Production Deficits
Ronald Coleman Williams (Coppin State University, USA), Will Holman (Open Works, Baltimore, USA), and Jeff Fuchs (Neovista Consulting, USA)
Copyright: © 2022
|Pages: 21
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-4322-4.ch013
Abstract
The impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic has been pervasive. From the first report by the World Health Organization (WHO) of a “mysterious pneumonia” sickening dozens in Wuhan, China to 5,680,741 deaths, every social and economic system has been challenged. This descriptive case study utilizes a process of analytic induction to examine Makers Unite, a collaborative personal protection equipment (PPE) production project spearheaded by Open Works, a makerspace in Baltimore, Maryland. The organization produced 28,270 face shields in 56 days, averaging a production rate of 496 per day, serving over 100 clients, and resulting in a contract to produce face shields for meatpacking inspectors. The project included six full-time staff members, five temporary part-time staff members, a network of 388 volunteers and 3D printers, and two partner organizations. The study reveals best practices for establishing Lean small-scale manufacturing, developing institutional trust, community collaboration, and developing a more inclusive, agile supply chain in healthcare equipment production.