A case for good governance: The intangibles that influence how any system works may sound soft and fuzzy, but in fact they are difficult to develop

[HEADNOTE]

THE INTANGIBLES THAT INFLUENCE HOW ANY SYSTEM WORKS MAY SOUND SOFT AND FUZZY, BUT IN FACT THEY ARE DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP

When a plane crashes or a corporation fails, we seek out the causes with mixed motives. Initially, we want to find out who is at fault so that suitable punishment may be meted out. Ultimately, we want to fix the underlying system so similar disasters may be avoided in future.

The underlying system, however, is composed of people who likely will resist being "fixed." So there is a natural pressure to name pilot error or greedy managers for the problem. Blaming individuals usually means nothing need be changed - no one's authority is …