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The practice of risk management: Silence is not absence

Corvellec, Hervé LU orcid (2009) In Risk Management 11(3-4). p.285-304
Abstract
In contrast to risk management studies on organisations that overtly deal with risk, this article explores organisational risk management in a context in which risk is more or less absent from managerial vocabulary or organisational communication. It presents a single case study of a Swedish public transportation authority in which managers actually attend to a multitude of risk matters through contracts, a selective view of responsibility and dialogues, but without explicitly referring to them as risks. Two related claims are made on the basis of this case study. One is that the practice of risk management needs to be decoupled from the theories of risk management; another is that risk management practices do not need to be explicit but... (More)
In contrast to risk management studies on organisations that overtly deal with risk, this article explores organisational risk management in a context in which risk is more or less absent from managerial vocabulary or organisational communication. It presents a single case study of a Swedish public transportation authority in which managers actually attend to a multitude of risk matters through contracts, a selective view of responsibility and dialogues, but without explicitly referring to them as risks. Two related claims are made on the basis of this case study. One is that the practice of risk management needs to be decoupled from the theories of risk management; another is that risk management practices do not need to be explicit but can be embedded in the managerial tactics (after De Certeau, 1990) that characterise the organisation ’ s operational mode. Put concisely, silence does not necessarily mean the absence of risk management. This calls for a redefinition of the boundaries and nature of risk management theory and practice. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
public transportation, Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), risk management, practice, Sweden
in
Risk Management
volume
11
issue
3-4
pages
285 - 304
publisher
Palgrave Macmillan
external identifiers
  • scopus:70349174894
ISSN
1460-3799
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e8ef4e07-c373-4aba-8468-03bfd7e07a56 (old id 1472049)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:53:13
date last changed
2023-01-03 19:47:25
@article{e8ef4e07-c373-4aba-8468-03bfd7e07a56,
  abstract     = {{In contrast to risk management studies on organisations that overtly deal with risk, this article explores organisational risk management in a context in which risk is more or less absent from managerial vocabulary or organisational communication. It presents a single case study of a Swedish public transportation authority in which managers actually attend to a multitude of risk matters through contracts, a selective view of responsibility and dialogues, but without explicitly referring to them as risks. Two related claims are made on the basis of this case study. One is that the practice of risk management needs to be decoupled from the theories of risk management; another is that risk management practices do not need to be explicit but can be embedded in the managerial tactics (after De Certeau, 1990) that characterise the organisation ’ s operational mode. Put concisely, silence does not necessarily mean the absence of risk management. This calls for a redefinition of the boundaries and nature of risk management theory and practice.}},
  author       = {{Corvellec, Hervé}},
  issn         = {{1460-3799}},
  keywords     = {{public transportation; Public-Private Partnerships (PPP); risk management; practice; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3-4}},
  pages        = {{285--304}},
  publisher    = {{Palgrave Macmillan}},
  series       = {{Risk Management}},
  title        = {{The practice of risk management: Silence is not absence}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3029293/1472050.pdf}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}