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Extreme events, organizations and the politics of strategic decision making

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Wilson, David C. (David Charles), Branicki, Layla, Sullivan-Taylor, Bridgette and Wilson, Alexander David. (2010) Extreme events, organizations and the politics of strategic decision making. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol.23 (No.5). pp. 699-721. ISSN 0951-3574

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09513571011054945

Abstract

Purpose – Threats of extreme events, such as terrorist attacks or infrastructure breakdown, are potentially highly disruptive events for all types of organizations. This paper seeks to take a political perspective to power in strategic decision making and how this influences planning for extreme events.
Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 160 informants drawn from 135 organizations, which are part of the critical national infrastructure in the UK, forms the empirical basis of the paper. Most of these organizations had publicly placed business continuity and preparedness as a strategic priority. The paper adopts a qualitative approach, coding data from focus groups.
Findings – In nearly all cases there is a pre-existing dominant coalition which keeps business continuity decisions off the strategic agenda. The only exceptions to this are a handful of organizations which provide continuous production, such as some utilities, where disruption to business as usual can be readily quantified. The data reveal structural and decisional elements of the exercise of power. Structurally, the dominant coalition centralizes control by ensuring that only a few functional interests participate in decision making.
Research limitations/implications – Decisional elements of power emphasize the dominance of calculative rationality where decisions are primarily made on information and arguments which can be quantified. Finally, the paper notes the recursive aspect of power relations whereby agency and structure are mutually constitutive over time. Organizational structures of control are maintained, despite the involvement of managers charged with organizational preparedness and resilience, who remain outside the dominant coalition.
Originality/value – The paper constitutes a first attempt to show how planning for emergencies fits within the strategy-making process and how politically controlled this process is.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor

Divisions:

Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School > Marketing & Strategic Management
Faculty of Social Sciences > Sociology
Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Business planning, Emergency management, Power (Social sciences)

Journal or Publication Title:

Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal

Publisher:

Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.

ISSN:

0951-3574

Official Date:

2010

Dates:

Date	Event
2010	Published

Volume:

Vol.23

Number:

No.5

Number of Pages:

Page Range:

pp. 699-721

Identification Number:

10.1108/09513571011054945

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Publication Status:

Published

Access rights to Published version:

Open Access

Funder:

Leverhulme Trust (LT), Great Britain. Cabinet Office

Grant number:

ECF/2004/0386 (LT), 02078391462 (CO)

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