In the wake of 9/11 and hurricane Katrina, executives and policymakers are increasingly motivated 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 are experts in 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 progress from words to action.
• Contains contributions from world leading experts, introduces new concepts, and addresses a strategy and policy issue of urgent concern
• Offers a balance of perspectives from industry managers and academics;
• Makes novel cross-disciplinary connections, drawing insights from the published literature in economics, law, organizational studies, etc.
Edited by Philip Auerswald
George Mason University, Virginia
Lewis M. Branscomb
Harvard University, Massachusetts
Todd M. La Porte
George Mason University, Virginia
Erwann Michel-Kerjan
University of Pennsylvania
Related publications by contributing authors:
"The Challenge of Protecting Critical Infrastructure", Issues in Science and Technology (Fall 2005) by Philip Auerswald, Lewis M. Branscomb, Todd M. LaPorte, and Erwann Michel-Kerjan
"Ensuring (and Insuring?) Critical Information Infrastructure Protection" (.pdf), Faculty Research Working Paper Series (October 2005) by Kenneth Neil Cukier, Viktor Mayer-Schoenberger, and Lewis M. Branscomb
"Capitalizing on the Private Sector to Protect the Homeland", Washington Post op-ed (April 28, 2006) by Stephen E. Flynn and Daniel B. Prieto
Auerswald, Philip, Lewis M. Branscomb, Todd M. La Porte and Erwann O. Michel-Kerjan. “Seeds of Disaster, Roots of Response: How Private Action Can Reduce Public Vulnerability.” Cambridge University Press, September 2006