Drift, adaptation, resilience and reliability: Toward an empirical clarification

摘要

Much recent organizational writing, under the influence of complexity theory, describes adaptation and resilience as increasingly important organizational requirements. This emphasis, while undeniably significant, is based upon highly generalized and abstracted concepts which, as several scholars in the field have noted, have yet to produce specific researchable propositions. A particularly problematic aspect of the emerging literature on adaptation and resilience has been its treatment of research related to our understanding of high reliability organizations (HROs), organizations that must carefully manage potentially hazardous technical systems which if mismanaged could lead to catastrophic failures and cost many lives. The emphasis on adaptation and resilience we argue has led to distorted depictions of these organizations and the foundations of their reliability. Localized adaptations to complex or unpredictable situations of the sort depicted in some resilience models could actually be negative developments in relation to the pursuit of larger reliability and safety goals in these organizations.