Must the Shit Hit the Fan Before Anyone Responds? Response‐Activating Texts as Catalysts for Organisational Responsiveness

Bibliographic Data

ID22430408
AuthorsGrethe Midtlyng (0000-0002-0816-2608, Norwegian Police University College, corresponding author), Knut Mellingsæter Sørensen (0000-0003-3149-4173, Norwegian Police University College)
Year2026
Volume17
Issue2
Publication date2026-06-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueRisk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1944-4079 • E-ISSN: 1944-4079
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/rhc3.70061
OpenAlexW7163920744
LanguageEN
References cited39

The article examines how ‘soft’ information functions in rational organisations that emphasise hard information, and how this affects safety. Drawing on fieldwork in a high‐security prison, we analyse how frontline personnel interpret soft information about potential disturbances. We identify three coexisting institutional logics shaping these interpretations: precaution, laissez‐faire and legality. Based on these logics, we find a tension between anticipation and verification in organisational responses, where verification tends to dominate. Verified information drives formal response and information must typically conform to the format of an incident report to be considered valid by decision‐makers. As a result, incidents often need to materialise before formal action is taken. We introduce the concept of ‘response‐activating text’ to describe documents that trigger organisational action. The study highlights how historically rooted legal norms shape the handling of soft information, raising the question of whether the dominance of legal logic may come at the expense of safety.

Information system · Legal action · Shit · Management and Organizational Studies · Occupational Health and Safety Research · Public Relations and Crisis Communication

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