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Other stories of resilient safety management in the Norwegian offshore sector: Resilience engineering, bullshit and the de-politicization of danger

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  • du Plessis, Erik Mygind
  • Vandeskog, Bjarne

Abstract

This paper explores the different conceptual meanings of the term resilience as it is used and interpreted by industry actors in the Norwegian oil and gas industry, as well as the possible wider ramifications of this use. This is done by presenting three different theoretical readings, or stories, of the recent proliferation of the term in the industry. The stories are supported by empirical material stemming from document studies, interviews and ethnographic fieldwork in the industry. Safety Management academics and practitioners in the industry generally rely on conceptions derived from Resilience Engineering (RE), which is consequently the perspective used in the first story. Here, we outline the RE-perspective and explore how it might justify the spread of, and apparent need for, resilience, as well as those empirical qualities of operations that the concept purports to refer to. The second story utilizes the concept of organizational bullshit in order to examine some of the ways in which the resilience concept is used to impress and invoke organizational legitimacy, without necessarily having much tangible connection to day-to-day operations. The third reading connects the resilience concept to the rise of neoliberalism, and explores its potential for depoliticizing risk and danger as well as facilitating the responsibilization of offshore workers. In addition to presenting the different conceptual meanings of resilience in the Norwegian oil and gas sector, the paper also provides resources for discussing the potential ramifications of these conceptions

Suggested Citation

  • du Plessis, Erik Mygind & Vandeskog, Bjarne, 2020. "Other stories of resilient safety management in the Norwegian offshore sector: Resilience engineering, bullshit and the de-politicization of danger," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(1).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:scaman:v:36:y:2020:i:1:s0956522118302355
    DOI: 10.1016/j.scaman.2020.101096
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Judith Butler, 2010. "Performative Agency," Journal of Cultural Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(2), pages 147-161, July.
    2. King, Daniel, 2015. "The possibilities and perils of critical performativity: Learning from four case studies," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 255-265.
    3. Kettunen, Jari & Reiman, Teemu & Wahlström, Björn, 2007. "Safety management challenges and tensions in the European nuclear power industry," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 424-444, December.
    4. Woods, David D., 2015. "Four concepts for resilience and the implications for the future of resilience engineering," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 5-9.
    5. Bergström, Johan & van Winsen, Roel & Henriqson, Eder, 2015. "On the rationale of resilience in the domain of safety: A literature review," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 131-141.
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    Cited by:

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