Managerial disturbance handling: a case‐study approach

The focus of this paper is on the recognition and resolution by managers of “disturbances”, which have been defined as “involuntary situations that threaten the smooth running of the organisation but are partially beyond managerial control”. We have employed a case‐study methodology that involved semi‐structured interviews, and both within‐ and cross‐case analysis of interview data. Our primary finding is that disturbances are either people‐oriented or systems‐related, and that both recognition and resolution are contingent upon the nature of the disturbance.