Identifying the Cultural Causes of Disasters: An Analysis of the Hillsborough Football Stadium Disaster

Abstract

This essay seeks to help stimulate greater effectiveness in dealing with disasters as a problem area. The concern is with those disasters which, arguably, are created by organizations themselves. The essay proceeds, first, by suggesting that many of the deep‐seated beliefs which prevail in the UK over the nature of organizations and their management are based on a view of reality which is not in accord with the reality of disaster situations. Thus, it is suggested, organization culture, generally in the UK, is founded on beliefs which are inappropriate for dealing with the disaster phenomenon and which are likely to actually promote ‘organizationally‐induced’ disasters.