A Comparison Of The Challenger And Columbia Explosions

Exploring NASA: A Comparison of the Challenger and Columbia Explosions Jennifer Waldroup HIS 247 November 17,2014 It holds true that government organizations gradually decline; the enthusiasm is replaced with bureaucracy, employees are resistant to change and overall performance is decreased. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is no exception to this. NASA is an example of bureaucracy having a detrimental effect on an organization. The lines of communication became skewed and were often broken while the organization was locked in an internal battle over who exactly was in charge. While there were heads of each department and heads of each branch, critical information often slipped through the cracks. It was this breakdown in communication and the failure to address known issues that was the direct cause for both the Challenger and Columbia explosions. The explosions, though separated by seventeen years, were incredibly similar. Concerns had been brought to the table and similarly dismissed as â€Å"acceptable risk.† This acceptable risk proved fatal for t he crews of both space shuttles. Bureaucracy and financial expediency led to reduced federal funding, general distrust from the public, and growing disinterest. The organization that sent men to the moon is vastly different than the organization in charge today. NASA’s beginnings were less clouded in red tape and bureaucratic policies. Ideas wereShow MoreRelatedProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 Pages377 10 CONTROLLING PROJECTS 381 The Two-Boss Problem 383 The Bathtub Period 385 Ford Motor Co.: Electrical/Electronic Systems Engineering 388 viii 11 PROJECT RISK MANAGEMENT 401 CONTENTS The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster 403 The Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster 453 Packer Telecom 460 Luxor Technologies 462 Altex Corporation 466 Acme Corporation 470 12 CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 473 Facilities Scheduling at Mayer Manufacturing 475 Scheduling the Safety Lab 478 Telestar InternationalRead MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 Pagesand methods An illustration of segmental analysis An alternative approach to segmental analysis Customer profitability analysis Marketing experimentation The nature of productivity The use of ratios Analysing ratios and trends Ratios and interfirm comparison vi CONTENTS 3.13 3.14 A strategic approach Summary 112 116 117 119 119 120 128 136 139 149 153 159 165 167 169 169 170 174 182 188 192 202 214 215 221 223 223 230 236 241 246 248 250 251 255 261 4 Market and environmental analysisRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pages........................................................................... 251 False Dilemma Fallacy....................................................................................................................... 253 Fallacy of Faulty Comparison .......................................................................................................... 256 Fallacious Appeal to Authority .....................................................................................................Read MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesthan half are new to this edition) †¢ Photos/captions (more than half are new to this edition) New feature: glOBalization!, which features organizational behavior in an international context. Improved integration of global implications: With the explosion of international research, global OB research is now woven into each chapter, rather than in a stand-alone section at the end of the chapter. Revision to Summary and Implications for Managers section, with more focus on practical ways to apply theRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pagesimprovement involving entirely better ways of working. It recognizes that what one measures effectively, one is most like ly to lead and manage effectively. Intel’s emphasis on new work flow forms of development and operation triggered fundamental explosions in the way information technology is successfully created and produced. Toyota’s emphasis on management processes that solve small problems quickly—fully as much as they solve large ones—has provided it with an enormous competitive advantage in