Standardization and risk governance

de Odd Einar Olsen, Kirsten Juhl, Preben Hempel Lindøe, Ole Andreas Engen

"This multi-disciplinary book conceptualises, maps and analyses ongoing standardisation processes of risk issues across various sectors, processes and practices. Standards are not only technical specifications and guidelines to support efficient risk governance, but also contain social, political, economic and organizational aspects. This book presents a variety of standardization processes and applications of standards that may influence our judgements of risk, the organizing of risk governance, and accordingly our ways of behaviour. Standardization and standards can impact risk governance in different ways. The most important lessons drawn from the present volume can be summarized under three areas: (a) how standardization might impact on power relations and interests; (b) how standardization may change flexibility in decision-making, communication, and cooperation; and (c) how standardization could (re)direct attention and risk perception. The volume's purpose is to present an analysis of standardisation processes and how it impacts on our thinking about risk, how we organise risk governance and how standardisation may influence on risk management. In so doing, it contributes to a more informed discourse regarding the use of standards and standardisation in contemporary risk management. This book will be of much interest to students of risk, standardisation, global governance and critical security studies"--