Diagnosing Organizational Zemblanity: From Isolated Errors to Endogenous Decline

Marco Balzano ()
Additional contact information
Marco Balzano: University of Trieste, Department of Economics, Management, Mathematics and Statistics

Chapter 5 in The Unexpected Game, 2026, pp 65-90 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter introduces and theorizes zemblanity as a condition of organizational decline characterized by the unintended realization of foreseeable harm. The chapter defines zemblanity as a cumulative and internally generated phenomenon, unfolding through three necessary conditions: agency, recurrent engagement with errors, and the endogenous construction of misfortune. Traced across illustrative cases, these mechanisms reveal that organizational misfortune is often structurally embedded and behaviorally maintained rather than externally imposed. Building on this theoretical grounding, the chapter advances a systemic model identifying deteriorative culture, leadership deficiencies, and structural inefficiencies as the root causes of organizational zemblanity. Strategic agility is presented as the structural counterpoint to this condition, illustrated through a case in which a major firm in the mobile phone industry successfully deployed agility to avert a zemblan decline. The chapter then introduces a structured diagnostic framework for assessing the conditions under which organizations are likely to experience zemblanity. Drawing on a tripartite lens encompassing structure, culture, and leadership, it presents the Zemblan Score (ZS), a self-assessment instrument designed to detect early-stage organizational vulnerabilities. The approach disaggregates each root cause into subcomponents and operationalizes them through 12 Likert-scaled items.

Keywords: Organizational zemblanity; Strategic agility; Serendipity; Error management; Zemblan Score; Holistic management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:isichp:978-3-032-17576-2_5

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9783032175762

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-17576-2_5

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in International Series in Advanced Management Studies from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().