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The performativity of risk management frameworks and technologies: The translation of uncertainties into pure and impure risks

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  • Themsen, Tim Neerup
  • Skærbæk, Peter

Abstract

This article examines the long-term dynamics among a best-practice risk management framework, risk management technologies and the translation of uncertainties into risks by using a longitudinal case study of a large mega-project. We show that the framework and technologies through the visual power of inscriptions and the purifying work of risk consultants as experts establish the boundaries of the forms of uncertainties that are accepted and included as risks. We term the accepted and included risks ‘pure risks’ and the risks excluded after disagreement ‘impure risks’. We also show that the construction of impure risks challenges the predictions of the framework causing a false sense of security for the project objectives, and that the continuous readjustment of technologies, in particular, is necessary to ensure the long-term realisation of these predictions. Finally, this article contributes to the literature on performativity by showing how technologies serve as buffers to shield failing economic frameworks against criticism.

Suggested Citation

  • Themsen, Tim Neerup & Skærbæk, Peter, 2018. "The performativity of risk management frameworks and technologies: The translation of uncertainties into pure and impure risks," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 20-33.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:aosoci:v:67:y:2018:i:c:p:20-33
    DOI: 10.1016/j.aos.2018.01.001
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Pucci, Richard & Skærbæk, Peter, 2020. "The co-performation of financial economics in accounting standard-setting: A study of the translation of the expected credit loss model in IFRS 9," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    2. Céline Baud & Nathalie Lallemand-Stempak, 2024. "Quantitative technologies and reflexivity: The role of tools and their layouts in the case of credit risk management," Post-Print hal-04419872, HAL.
    3. Jemaa, Fatma, 2022. "Recoupling work beyond COSO: A longitudinal case study of Enterprise-wide Risk Management," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    4. Rana, Tarek & Cordery, Carolyn J., 2024. "Digitalization as a form of marketization: The performativity of calculative practices in framing and overflowing NGO performance and accountability," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(1).
    5. Yusheng Kong & Peter Yao Lartey & Fatoumata Binta Maci Bah & Nirmalya B. Biswas, 2018. "The Value of Public Sector Risk Management: An Empirical Assessment of Ghana," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-18, July.
    6. Crovini, Chiara & Ossola, Giovanni & Britzelmaier, Bernd, 2021. "How to reconsider risk management in SMEs? An Advanced, Reasoned and Organised Literature Review," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 118-134.
    7. Gianna Ida Festa & Luigi Guerriero & Mariano Focareta & Giuseppe Meoli & Silvana Revellino & Francesco Maria Guadagno & Paola Revellino, 2022. "Calculating Economic Flood Damage through Microscale Risk Maps and Data Generalization: A Pilot Study in Southern Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-21, May.
    8. Hong Tian & Jiahui Tian, 2021. "The Mediating Role of Responsible Innovation in the Relationship between Stakeholder Pressure and Corporate Sustainability Performance in Times of Crisis: Evidence from Selected Regions in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-17, July.
    9. Ronzani, Matteo & Gatzweiler, Marian Konstantin, 2022. "The lure of the visual: Multimodality, simplification, and performance measurement visualizations in a megaproject," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    10. Boedker, Christina & Chong, Kar-Ming & Mouritsen, Jan, 2020. "The counter-performativity of calculative practices: Mobilising rankings of intellectual capital," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).

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