Understanding social amplification of risk : possible impact of an avian flu pandemic
Name
174994797-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
5.21 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
cdf7d00d365ed46c545daabfe3a1c793
Author(s)
Sundrani, Aamir (Aamir Sultan)
Advisor(s)
Charles L. Cooney and Kimberly M. Thompson.
Date Issued
2007
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Today, stakeholders expect organizations to be able to endure external shocks. Hence, the real potential of an avian flu pandemic has many corporations developing business continuity plans for the disruptions that a pandemic may cause. For the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry, the major concerns of a pandemic include high employee absentee rates, lack of accessibility to the medical facilities, and disruption to the product supply chain. This work introduces social amplification of risk theory to evaluate the potential impact of a pandemic to a business due to heightened fear. It uses a case study of Genzyme Corporation and evaluates pandemic related risks to two of its major products. By applying a system dynamics framework to evaluate the mechanisms for the amplification of risks, a solution is proposed. The lessons introduced in this work can help organizations evaluate the true risks of catastrophic events.
Description
Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2007.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 71-75).
Subjects
Sloan School of Management.
Engineering Systems Division.
Leaders for Manufacturing Program.
MIT Department
Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division
Sloan School of Management
Terms of Use
M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.
Persistent DSpace Link
