Paradox management for crisis avoidance

Abstract

Examines the nature of crisis‐prone organizational beliefs and behaviours and focuses particularly on disaster‐proneness. Explains why narrow views of reality and the organizational systems and behaviours promoted by such views lead to crisis events. Contextualizes this examination and explanation using the 1988 Clapham Junction rail disaster as a case illustration, not as a criticism of the people involved in it but for the purposes of self‐reflection and learning about readers′ own organizations. Concludes that many of us work in organizations which are “crises waiting to happen”.