steve on Nostr: “The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA” ...
“The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA” by Diane Vaughan
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In 1986, the Challenger space shuttle exploded 73 seconds after launch and claimed the lives of all 7 crew members onboard. While the initial investigation claimed the cause was amoral technical oversight and mismanagement, Vaughan (a sociologist, by trade) presents a strong case that the fault actually lay in an organizational culture that fostered the “normalization of deviance”. NASA engineers frequently accepted known risks, but also consequently re-established their baselines each time they did so. The consequence? An organization where bureaucracy and technical analysis marched along rationally until finally their new normal allowed the Challenger disaster to occur. Vaughan’s work provides a cautionary tail to the engineer’s penchant for quantifying the world around them and centralizing decision-making. This one hit home with me and is a must-read for anyone working with or within technical fields.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In 1986, the Challenger space shuttle exploded 73 seconds after launch and claimed the lives of all 7 crew members onboard. While the initial investigation claimed the cause was amoral technical oversight and mismanagement, Vaughan (a sociologist, by trade) presents a strong case that the fault actually lay in an organizational culture that fostered the “normalization of deviance”. NASA engineers frequently accepted known risks, but also consequently re-established their baselines each time they did so. The consequence? An organization where bureaucracy and technical analysis marched along rationally until finally their new normal allowed the Challenger disaster to occur. Vaughan’s work provides a cautionary tail to the engineer’s penchant for quantifying the world around them and centralizing decision-making. This one hit home with me and is a must-read for anyone working with or within technical fields.