Toward a Theory of Organizational Implosion

Abstract

The essay seeks to develop theory for a particular type of organizational disaster, “organizational implosion.” The organization implosion concept is developed in depth, but a key aspect of it is that organizational members, acting in their official capacities, play a significant role in the havoc wreaked on their organization. Hypotheses are presented about organization disaster and implosion, relating organizational outcomes to the nature of external controlling organizations, communications among organizational sets, and types of interdependence among organizations. A preliminary model of organizational implosion is presented, along with case illustrations.