Romzek, Barbara, and Mel Dubnick. “Accountability and the Management of Expectations: The Challenger Tragedy and Costs of Democracy.” Working Paper WP86-1. Prepared for delivery at the 1986 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, The Washington Hilton, August 27–31, 1986.
Abstract: The Rogers Commission investigation of the Challenger disaster was too narrow in its focus and missed critical dimensions of the accountability failures that led to the tragedy. This paper examines the relationship between accountability systems and the management of expectations in public organizations, using the Challenger disaster as a case study in how misaligned accountability relationships contribute to organizational failure and the costs borne by democratic governance.
Author’s Note: This conference paper preceded the published article: Romzek, Barbara S., and Melvin J. Dubnick. “Accountability in the Public Sector: Lessons from the Challenger Tragedy.” Public Administration Review 47 (3), 1987: 227–238.