Resources

Donald,

There is recently a lot of people looking into this
field and publishing on it. They tend to group this
line of research as looking at Highly Reliable
Organizations. Following are a few books I've read
which were very good on this subject matter.

The Secret of Apollo: Systems Management in
American and European Space Programs by Stephen
Johnson. This book goes into detail on on the
management techniques and how they evolved to meet the
demands of space. It concentrates on not only the
apollo guys but also alot on Schriver in the air force
and the europeans in their early attempts at building
a rocket. This book focuses mainly on the theory
behind systems management in aerospace and its
evolution.

Organizational Communication Imperatives: Lessons
of the Space Program by Phillip K. Tompkins is another
good book that is basically a case study of MSFC and
especially Werner Von Braun and his management
techniques. A great read for anyone studying
management theory of space organizations.

Howard McCurdy has written several good books on
this subject: Faster, Better, Cheaper: Low-Cost
Innovation in the U.S. Space Program is a good case
study on how this program was implemented from a
management view and how it failed. It also goes into
the origins of the philospohy behind FBC in the Kelly
Johnson skunk works projectm management style. I'd
also suggest you look up Johnson's work at skunk
works, he is very highly thought of.

Another good book by McCurdy is Inside Nasa: High
Technology and Organizational Change in the U.S. Space
Program. This is more of a look at the organizational
theory but it is definitely a must read for someone
studying management of space.

Joan Lisa Bromberg wrote a good book on the
commercial industry and its struggles inthe the 80s
and 90s in her book: Nasa and the Space Industry.

A couple of books written on the Challenger and
columbia disaster also go into the the theory of
management and the problems associated with it in many
of NASA's subcontractors. Top of my head one of the
best is The Challenger Launch Decision : Risky
Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA by Diane
Vaughan.

There are more books than that in my library on
this subject but this should be enough to get you
started. To keep your nose in the books for a while.
Enjoy!

Ryan Zelnio