Storming and catastrophic system failures

Storming is an acceleration in activity at the end of a planning period that is a response to an arbitrary, time-dependent incentive system. Although storming is seldom explicitly blamed for causing a disaster, it is often the tragic catalyst that allows system failure to develop to catastrophic scale. The Wilberg mine fire, the Challenger disaster, the rush to get Three Mile Island Unit 2 on-line before the end of 1978, and typical operation of pre-perestroika Soviet factories are offered as cases in which storming progressed beyond optimal levels. By learning to recognize excessive storming, managers can more effectively select realistic and optimal production rates.