Poor management
Poor management may be a contributing factor in any failure to achieve a desired state. That state may be, for example, the successful running of an administrative process, the completion of a task, the creation of a cohesive group of people, or the individual happiness and motivation of staff members. Classic characteristics of sub-standard management include a lack of planning, vague communication, lax control, absence of support or inadequate evaluation of progress.
Examples abound; the collapse of Enron and Barings, the delay in rescuing the sailors onboard the Kursk, the Columbia tragedy, the day-to-day operation of the British railways are but a few.
Poor management is not always a result of lack of judgement or failure of intellect. Even good managers sometimes get culled if there is a major flop. Arguably the most common and soul-destroying examples of poor management occur in the modern office environment.
