Seeds of Disaster, Roots of Response: How Private Action Can Reduce Public Vulnerability - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521857961 ISBN 13: 9780521857963

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2006

Synopsis

In the wake of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, executives and policymakers are motivated than ever to reduce the vulnerability of social and economic systems to disasters. Most prior work on “critical infrastructure protection” has focused on the responsibilities and actions of government rather than on those of the private sector firms that provide most vital services. Seeds of Disaster, Roots of Response is the first systematic attempt to understand how private decisions and operations affect public vulnerability. It describes effective and sustainable approaches - both business strategies and public policies - to ensure provision of critical services in the event of disaster. The authors are business leaders from multiple industries and experts in fields as diverse as risk analysis, economics, engineering, organization theory and public policy. The book shows the necessity of deeply rooted collaboration between private and public institutions, and the accountability and leadership required to go from words to action.

About this title

Book Description

Seeds of Disaster, Roots of Response describes the economic, organizational, and institutional actions required to improve the continuity and recovery of vital public services in event of disaster. This is the first book to describe the fundamental trade-offs between private efficiency and public vulnerability in an open society.

About the Author

Philip E. Auerswald, PhD (editor) is Director of the Center for Science and Technology Policy and an Assistant Professor at the School of Public Policy, George Mason University. Professor Auerswald's work focuses on linked processes of technological and organizational change in the contexts of policy, economics, and strategy. He is the founding co-editor of Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization, a quarterly journal from MIT Press about people using technology to address global challenges. He was previously a Research Fellow and Assistant Director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. His published work has addressed entrepreneurial finance, organizational learning, industry dynamics, and innovation policy. He has been a consultant for the National Academies of Science, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Washington and a BA (political science) from Yale University.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0521857961
• ISBN 13: 9780521857963
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 576
• Editor: Auerswald Philip E., Branscomb Lewis M., La Porte Todd M., Michel-Kerjan Erwann O.