NASA and the "acceptable risk"
COMMENT: to Bus429
The thread so far seems to be addressing management decision-making as a factor in accidents and incidents, in particular in relation to risk.
Re “Any other suggestions would be welcome.”
OK, along with the excellent Charles Perrow try Scott Sagan whose basic thesis is that it is not ‘risk’ that is the issue, it is power: "The power of elites to impose risks upon the many for the benefit of the few." Scott D. Sagan (1995) The Limits of Safety. Organizational, Accidents, and Nuclear Weapons. Princeton University Press. Princeton New Jersey.
And on the subject of the ‘independent regulator’ there seems to be an implication that regulators can be independent, if so, read Mary Schiavo, Former Inspector General of the US Department of Transportation, Flying Blind, Flying Safe. Her First Chapter, entitled ‘Who does the FAA Work for, Anyway? Not you' draws attention to the lack of independence, indeed to a dual mandate that adds up to an impossibility. This incompatibility is addressed in detail by Professor E Mumford, (1999) Dangerous Decisions. Problem Solving in Tomorrow’s World. Kluwer Academic Plenum.
And when you’ve done that tell us what you think the bottom line answers are. I have one theory but await yours with interest!