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'gallows engineering' expression?
bit:
There's a 'dynamic' factor involved, in that improvements are not made to a given design until after X-number of people die from the negligently cheaper design first.
There've been any number of movie remarks addressing this, as in, "Why did/does someone have to die first, before they finally fix (that rotten design)?"
The expression is supposed to encapsulate this, and the closest I can come to recalling it is the one I suggested; necro-engineering.
But I'm not sure if that's it or not.
MilesAhead:
There's a 'dynamic' factor involved, in that improvements are not made to a given design until after X-number of people die from the negligently cheaper design first.
--- End quote ---
That's exactly what happened with the Pinto
Business being a profession practiced cold, I think they just call it cost/benefit analysis.
Innuendo:
Cost/Benefit analysis, as a term, has been getting some bad press and the business world has moved on to fancier terms that are less likely to stir up emotions in their vict...er....customers.
Everything that's been discussed in this thread here falls under the umbrella of "Risk Management". What bit is talking about now has a new fancy term under this umbrella and the terminology used is "Risk Appetite".
Definition from Wikipedia:
"The level of risk that an organization is prepared to accept, before action is deemed necessary to reduce it. It represents a balance between the potential benefits of innovation and the threats that change inevitably brings."
How much of an appetite organization has dictates how much risk they are willing to accept.
You can read more here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_appetite
Discussing 'appetites' with stockholders is much more conducive to business than discussing 'gallows'. :)
MilesAhead:
Hmm, it is strange how people get into jargon. Some business theorist must've come up with the appetite angle after seeing Ford eat crow on the Pinto settlements. Speakin' of which, I think I could risk some breakfast soon. :)
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