| For millions of people, Space Shuttle Columbia's accident triggered sober memories of Space Shuttle Challenger's accident. Many scholars speculate that both shuttle accidents were the result of a hardware failure as well as a communication failure. NASA has been described as having a culture ripe with poor communication, flawed decision-making, groupthink, and abusive power structures. This work expands upon two previously accepted organizational models to propose a model of organizational culture. The proposed model draws from relevant literature in systems thinking, communication, and organizational learning. The model examines the interdependent relationship between the four systemic dimensions of structure, technology, environment and transformation. Embedded in each of these dimensions is communication. This work uses the model as a theoretical frame to develop a case study analysis of NASA's culture and communication praxis during the time of Columbia's mission, accident and investigation. |
