Editorial	7
	Reference	8
	Contents	9
	About the Authors	11
	Introduction	29
	The Spectre of Failure	29
	Increase Versus Decrease	29
	Systemic Versus Personalized	31
	For the Worse Versus for the Better	31
	Conclusion	33
	References	33
	Part I: Failure Inside Companies	35
	Failure in Organizational Change	36
	Change in Organizations	36
	Failure at the Structural Level	38
	The Modular Inventory for Organizational Research (modul_or)	39
	Case Study	40
	Failure at the Process Level	42
	Unfreezing	42
	Moving	43
	Re-Freezing	44
	Case Study	45
	Dealing with Failure	46
	Is Failure Good?	46
	Which Failures Are Good?	47
	Who Deals with Failure in Organizational Change?	47
	Resistance to Organizational Change: Failure Risk or Opportunity?	48
	Lessons from Failure	49
	References	50
	Online Resources	52
	Failure in Innovation: Is There Such a Thing?	53
	Setting the Scene	53
	Want to Succeed in the Twenty-First Century? Innovate!	55
	A Word on Fear	58
	Failure? But Not As We Know It!	61
	Failure to Provide Direction	61
	Case Study	62
	Failure to Establish a Shared Definition	62
	Failure to Ensure Required Resources Are Available	63
	Failure to Experiment and Push Beyond the Immediately Obvious	63
	Failure to Capture Learning	63
	Failure to Invite Everyone	64
	Case Study	64
	Failure to Ensure Diversity	65
	Failure to Mitigate Risk	65
	Tips and Tools for Minimising Failure	66
	Consider Context	66
	Collaborate	66
	Case Study	67
	Embrace the Concept of `Sunk Cost´	67
	Staged Commitment	68
	Case Study	68
	Prototype	68
	Celebrate Failure	69
	Closing Thoughts	69
	References	69
	Online Resources	71
	Failure in Projects	72
	Failure Rates and Factors in Projects	72
	Purpose of Projects	75
	Failure in Initiating a Project	76
	Failure in Planning a Project	78
	Failure in Conducting a Project	80
	Ill Defined Tasks	80
	Time	81
	Team	81
	Leadership	82
	Motivation	82
	Emotion	83
	Failure in Transferring a Project	83
	Project Information	84
	Organizational Resonance and Decision	85
	Dealing with Failure in Projects	85
	Failure in Learning from Failure	86
	Case study	87
	Conclusion	88
	References	88
	Online Resources	91
	Failure in Teams: Why Successful Teams Do Not Fail (So Often)	92
	Introduction	92
	Requirements for Successful Teamwork: What Makes a Successful Team Different?	93
	Factors of Successful Teamwork	94
	Factors of Successful Team Processes	94
	Case Study	94
	Routine Processes: The Enemy of Innovation	96
	Case Study	96
	Action Regulation of Teams in Critical Situations	97
	Case Study	97
	Information Search, Analysis and Transfer	97
	Case Study	98
	Planning and Decision Making	99
	Case Study	99
	Reflection and Learning	99
	Can Successful Teams be Formed from Unsuccessful Teams?	101
	References	102
	Online Resources	103
	Failure of Leadership	104
	Introduction	104
	Defining Leadership and Management	105
	Fail to Develop a Clear Vision and Mission Statement	106
	Fail to Develop a Results-Driven Organization	107
	Fail to Recruit and Develop Competent Workers	107
	Fail to Build a Collaborative Climate	108
	Case Study	108
	Fail to Define the Operational Concepts	109
	Fail to Recognize that Gravity Wins	109
	Fail to Recognize that Strategies Die	110
	Fail to Recognize that Virtues Matter	110
	Fail to be Flexible	111
	Fail to Assume Responsibility	111
	Fail to Recognize the Human Nature of the Organizations	112
	Fail to Create a Culture of Fun	113
	Case Study	114
	Fail to Trust Your People	114
	Conclusions: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly	115
	References	116
	Online Resources	119
	Failure in Innovation Decision Making	120
	Introduction	120
	Failure in Managerial Decision Making	121
	Innovations as (Cognitive) Psychological Processes	121
	Innovation Processes as Cognitively Challenging Fields of Action	122
	Novelty	122
	Uncertainty	122
	Complexity	122
	Conflicts	123
	Volatility	123
	Bounded Rationality in Innovation Decision Making	124
	Failure Due to Wishful Thinking	124
	Case Study	124
	Failure Due to Overconfidence	125
	Failure Due to the ``Not-Invented-Here´´ Phenomenon	125
	Failure Due to Inappropriate Project Models	126
	Failure Due to the Confirmation Bias	126
	Failure Due to the ``Sunk Cost Fallacy´´	126
	Case Study	126
	Ways to Deal with Biases	127
	Conclusion	128
	References	129
	Online Resources	131
	Failure in Personnel Development	132
	Introduction	132
	The Transfer-Problem: Literature Review	133
	Diagnostics	134
	Interventions	136
	Case Study	140
	Conclusion	142
	References	142
	Online Resources	144
	Failure in Startup Companies: Why Failure Is a Part of Founding	145
	Introduction	145
	Why Do Foundations Fail?	147
	EXIST Study	147
	Study of CB Insights	149
	Study of the Startup Genome Project	149
	Study of the DIHK	150
	Internal and External Reasons for the Failure of Company Foundations	151
	Internal Reasons	151
	Individual Reasons and Reasons Within the Team	152
	Development ``Past the Market´´, Presented by the Example of Why-Own-It	154
	``Bad Marketing´´, Presented by the Example of Segway	155
	External Reasons	155
	``Lacking Capital´´, Presented by the Example of Webvan	156
	``Incorrect Time for the Product´´, Presented by the Example of boo.com	156
	``Overtaken by the Competition´´ Using the Example of studiVZ	157
	The Different Culture of Failure	158
	What Do We Learn from It?	162
	References	162
	Online Resources	164
	Failure in Public Relations: Non-profit Organizations Facing Growing Challenges	165
	Case Study	165
	Legitimacy	166
	The Special PR Risks NPOs Face	166
	Crucial Conflicts	168
	How NPOs Can Respond to PR Crises	168
	Risks: Discrepancies and Trust	169
	Discrepancy Risks	169
	Trust Risks	170
	Public Trust: License to Operate	171
	Scandals and Frames: Forms of Failure	172
	Framing	173
	Short Skill Set for Public Relations in Times of Trouble	174
	Worst Frame Scenario	175
	De-framing/Re-framing	175
	Story	175
	Protagonists	176
	Timing	176
	Case Study	176
	References	177
	Online Resources	178
	Failure in Intercultural Cooperation	179
	References	182
	Part II: Failure Beyond Companies	183
	Failure in Consulting: Consultation Cannot Fail!	184
	In Lieu of an Introduction: Anticipation of the Bottom Line	184
	Case Study	185
	Customers and/or Clients: The Inversion of Dependency	187
	Success and/or Failure: Who Decides the Outcome?	188
	Methodology and Flow: Structuring Laissez-Faire	188
	Methodological Handles	188
	The Order of Space and Time	189
	Free-Floating	189
	Distance and Closeness: The Affection Trap	190
	Too Much Distance	191
	Too Much Closeness	191
	Primary Frustration and Secondary Satisfaction	191
	How Much Longer? How Much Consulting Can One Take?	192
	Knowledge and Ignorance: Searching for Information	193
	Searching for Information: The Curiosity Drive	193
	Variety of Consultation and/or Exclusive Consultation: Consultation Failing Because of Consultation	195
	Case Study	195
	Case Study	196
	Can Consultation Fail?	196
	References	197
	Online Resources	197
	Failure in Coaching: Between Professional Craft and the Art of Creating a Relationship	198
	Introduction	198
	Professional Coaching in Organizations	198
	Relationships, Multiple Perspectives, and Context in Coaching	201
	Clarify, Clarify, Clarify	205
	Do I Feel Safe?	206
	Do I Feel Secure When Communicating with the Other Person?	206
	Does our Relationship Have a Quality of Its Own?	206
	Are We Compatible with Regard to Emotional, Content-Related, and Temporal Factors?	208
	Do We Work Together in a Focused, Attentive Manner?	208
	Can My Needs be Addressed and the Other´s Too?	208
	Has a Distribution of Roles Arisen that Corresponds to the Context?	208
	Do We Show Each Other How We Are Amazed, Thoughtful, or Empathetic?	209
	Is Our Relationship Developing?	209
	Do We Both Benefit from the Encounter?	209
	Can We Talk About Our Communication?	209
	Outlook	210
	References	210
	Online Resources	212
	Failure of Networks and Network Management	213
	Introduction	213
	A Network Concept Far Too Broad	214
	The Specific Network Concept	215
	Case study	216
	Network Pillar 1: Negotiation Through Mediation and Moderation	217
	Network Pillar 2: Trust Based on Common Culture	218
	Network Pillar 3: Flexibility Through Change and Innovation	219
	From Network to Network Management and Its Failure	221
	Failure 1: The Mindset of Classical Management	221
	Failure 2: External Network Management	222
	Failure 3: Network as a Formal Structure	223
	Failure 4: Retreat to the Back Office	224
	Failure 5: Latent Conflicts, No Negotiation	224
	Failure 6: No De-personalization	225
	Failure 7: Only Trust and No Distrust	226
	Summary	228
	References	228
	Failure in Volunteer Work: A Call for Strategic Volunteer Management	232
	Introduction	232
	Theoretical Background: Volunteering and Human Motivation	234
	Ways to Fail in the Non-profit Sector: Three Levels of Analysis	236
	Task-Related Characteristics	236
	Role Ambiguity	236
	Case Study 1	237
	Unmet Role Expectations	237
	Case Study 2	238
	Case Study 3	238
	Psychological Contracts and Illegitimate Tasks	238
	Case Study 4	239
	Lack of Matching Between Volunteers´ Skills and Job Tasks	239
	Case Study 5	240
	Social Characteristics	240
	Lack of Recognition	240
	Case Study 6	241
	Lack of Social Support	241
	Structural Characteristics	242
	Lack of Vision and Goal-Setting	242
	Lack of Strategic Planning in Terms of Diversity and Changing Work Environment	243
	Recommendations	244
	Conclusion	247
	References	247
	Online Resources	250
	Failure in Public Institutions: Characteristics of Organizational Culture in the Military	251
	Failure and Success: Logic of the Military	251
	Hot Failure	252
	Failure in War	253
	Failure in Seizing Power	253
	Failure as Process of Disintegration	254
	Cold Failure	255
	Failure in Management	255
	Failure in Group Cohesion	256
	Failure as a Lack of Identity	257
	Breakfast in the Culture Club	257
	Conclusion	258
	References	258
	Online Resources	259
	Failure in Health: Burnout as an Intuitive Competence for Setting Health-Conducive Personal Boundaries	260
	Words and Other Focussing Measures Produce Reality	260
	Concepts Shape Relationships with Experience	261
	Favourably Shaping a Relationship with Experience	262
	Why Burnout?	263
	Burnout as a Contribution to Overcoming the Effects of the ``Failure´´ Construct	264
	Burnout as a Competence?	265
	Burnout: The Intuitive Competence of Setting Health-Conducive and Meaningful Personal Boundaries	265
	Hypnosystemic Strategies for Optimal Self-Regulation	266
	Meta-Balance as an Ambivalence Competence	266
	Harmonious Unhappiness	266
	Building Empathetic Regulation Positions	267
	Utilising Symptoms as Competent ``Ambassadors of Valuable Needs´´	268
	Focus on Inner Harmony	268
	``Squash Point´´ Strategy	269
	``Problem Solution Exercise or Problem Solution Tai Chi´´ with Utilisation of Stress Triggers and Stress Reactions	270
	Development of Meaning and Decision-Making Strategies for Life Balance in These Double Bind Situations	271
	Agreements in Solidarity with Our Own ``Future Ego´´	272
	Inner ``Parliamentary Democracy´´	273
	Journey into the Solution Times for the Development of Meaning	274
	Relationship-Forming Effect of a Different Attitude to One´s Self	276
	Analysing the Effects of Changed Behaviour with Respect to the Context of the Causes	276
	Case Study	277
	Failure: Is Not the End	284
	References	285
	Online Resources	285
	Failure in Design	286
	Failure in Design: Definition	286
	Failure in the Design Development Process	288
	Problems in Interdisciplinary Cooperation	288
	Recommendation	289
	Failure Due to Lack of Adherence to Process	290
	Recommendation	290
	Case Study	291
	Failure in Design: New Ideas Are Based on Design Failures	291
	Recommendation	291
	Further Creativity Tools	292
	Failure in Design: Listen to Your Customers?	293
	Recommendation	295
	Case Study	295
	Recommendation	296
	Failure of Design Recognition	296
	Failure of Communication on the Level of Perception	296
	Failure of Communication on the Level of Meaning	297
	Recommendation	298
	Design Failure as a Value	298
	Planned Failure of Design: Obsolescence	299
	Case Study	299
	Case Study	300
	Conclusion	300
	One Last Remark on the Development of the Discipline of Design	302
	References	303
	Online Resources	304
	Failure in Use of Technology	305
	Introduction	305
	What Means Failure of Technology?	307
	Human-Related Factors in Failure of Technology	308
	Task-Related Factors in Failure of Using Technology	308
	Organization-Related Factors in Failure of Technology	312
	Technology-Related Factors in Failure of Technology	313
	Users, Tasks, Context and Technology Do Not Match	313
	Levels of Action Regulation	314
	Failure at All Levels	315
	Failure at the Level of Automated Skills	316
	Failure on the Knowledge-Based Level	317
	Desired Failure	317
	Barriers Let Mistakes Fail	318
	The Misconception Not to Fail	319
	Failure Due to Inappropriate Trust in Technology	321
	Summary	322
	References	323
	Online Resources	324
	Failure in Sports	325
	Introduction	325
	Success in Sports Is all About FAILURE!	325
	Case Study	326
	Failure as a Short-Term Experience	328
	Short-Term Experience as a Time Interval	329
	Umbrella Organizations	330
	Clubs	331
	Sponsors	332
	Short-Term Experience as a Simple Defeat	332
	Failure and the Development of Personalities	333
	Failure and Emotion	334
	Case Study	335
	Failure and Core Competencies	336
	Sport and Society	336
	Sports and Social Media	337
	What It Takes to Be the Number One	340
	Final Statement	341
	References	342
	Online Resources	342
	Failure on Stage	343