Collapsing Structures and Public Mismanagement

Wolfgang Seibel is Professor of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Konstanz, and an Adjunct Professor of Public Administration at the Hertie School in Berlin, Germany. His new book is an outcome of the research project “Black Swans in Public Administration: Rare Organizational Failure with Severe Consequences” funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

• 1. Introduction: Black Swans and Sinatra Inferences.- 2. Evaporated Responsibility: The Collapse of the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne on 15 October 1970.- 3. Intended Ignorance: The Collapse of the I-35 W Mississippi River Bridge on 1 August 2007.- 4. Erosion of Professional Integrity: The Collapse of the Canterbury TV Building in Christchurch on 22 February 2011.- 5. Politicization of the Non-Politicizable: The Collapse of the Ice Skating Rink in Bad Reichenhall on 2 January 2006.- 6. Conclusion: Strategic Learning and Situational High Reliability.