Professor Ron Westrum
Sociologist of Complex Organizations, Safety and Information Flow
Welcome! I'm Ron Westrum, I am a theorist of Organizational cultures. I am particularly interested in information flow, and have developed a metric for culture that is widely used in business and government.
About Me
My Journey
I attended Harvard and graduated with honour in Social Relations, as well as this I attended the University of Chicago, graduating with a Ph.D in Sociology specializing in complex organisations and their communications.
I served 51 years at Eastern Michigan Universitiy and I am currently Emeritus Professor of Sociology. For six years I was Professor II of Social Safety at the University of Stavanger, Norway.
I was fortunate enough to have served sabbaticals at the Universities of Edinburgh and Hawaii, Manoa.
Areas of Expertise
Safety in Complex Systems: I've studied how information flow and decision-making impact safety in fields like aerospace, medicine, and nuclear power.
Organizational Culture: My research explores how organizational structures and cultures can either promote or hinder safety and innovation.
Knowledge Flow and Sharing: I'm interested in how information is disseminated within organizations, and how this can affect decision-making and overall effectiveness.
Work in System Safety
From my first conference in aviation safety in 1986, I presented papers at a long stream of conferences sponsored by private and public organizations.
In 1988, I presented a paper that first laid out my ideas about types of organization culture. This “Westrum Continuum” was taken up quickly by the aviation community, and eventually by other organizations as well - this framework is now used worldwide.
Ron Westrum Vidoes
Ron Westrum Podcasts
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![https://itrevolution.com/podcast/the-idealcast-episode-17/]()
The Sociology and Typologies of Organizations, and Technical Maestros with Dr. Ron Westrum
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Patterns of Generative Cultures: How They Can Be Destroyed and the Importance of Trust with Dr. Ron Westrum
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Westrum's World: Culture, Information Flow, and Innovation with Ron Westrum, PhD
Sidewinder: Creative Missile Development at China Lake
This book explores the fascinating dynamics of innovation within complex organizations. Westrum uses the development of the Sidewinder missile as a case study to show how bureaucratic cultures can stifle innovation, while generative cultures can foster it.
You can buy a copy of this book here
Publications
I have three books shown below, but as well as these I have around 50 papers, chapters, and entries in handbooks - several of which have now been reprinted elsewhere.
Technologies and Society: The Shaping of People and Things
In this book, Westrum examines the relationship between technology and society. He argues that technologies are not neutral, but rather reflect and shape the values of the cultures that create them.
You can buy a copy of this book here
Complex Organizations: Growth, Struggle, and Change
This book explores the dynamics of complex organizations, such as corporations, governments, and universities. Westrum and Samaha discuss the challenges that these organizations face, such as bureaucracy and information overload, and offer suggestions for how to overcome them.
You can buy a copy of this book here
