How did it come to this? A systems perspective on crisis incubation

The onset of crises within organisations often appears to be a rapidly emerging event. However, the root causal factors for crises are often deep-seated and incubated within organisational processes and practices. The process of incubation, initially outlined by Barry Turner, can been framed as a mechanism for the generation of vulnerabilities in processes and practices within organisations which remain dormant until triggered by a perturbation or shock event that exposes those weaknesses. The paper looks at the processes by which incubation occurs within organisations and does so through a systems lens. The paper uses the kaleidoscope metaphor advocated by Turner to frame some of the underlying processes by which the potential for failure is embedded within organisations and sets this within a wider process of crisis management. It also allows for a wider consideration of how these incubation processes can be systemic throughout a range of organisations. Using public management as an example, the paper highlights the challenges that managers face when trying to assess their own potential contributions to the crises that they may subsequently have to manage.