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'''Failure''' (or '''flop''') in general refers to the state or ] of not meeting a desirable or intended objective. It may be viewed as the opposite of ]. '''Failure''' (or '''flop''') in general refers to the state or ] of not meeting a desirable or intended objective. It may be viewed as the opposite of ].


==Criteria for failure== ==Criteria for Failure=


Stay the course no matter what.
The criteria for failure are heavily dependent on context of use, and may be ] to a particular ] or ]. A situation considered to be a failure by one might be considered a success by another, particularly in cases of direct ] or a ] ]. As well, the degree of success or failure in a situation may be differently viewed by distinct observers or participants, such that a situation that one considers to be a failure, another might consider to be a success, a qualified success or a neutral situation.

It may also be difficult or impossible to ascertain whether a situation meets criteria for failure or success due to ambiguous or ill-defined definition of those criteria. Finding useful and effective criteria, or ], to judge the success or failure of a situation may itself be a significant task.


==Flavors of failure== ==Flavors of failure==

Revision as of 12:34, 25 October 2006

For other senses of this word, see Failure (disambiguation).

Failure (or flop) in general refers to the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective. It may be viewed as the opposite of success.

=Criteria for Failure

Stay the course no matter what.

Flavors of failure

Failure can be differentially perceived from the viewpoints of the evaluators. A person who is only interested in the final outcome of an activity would consider it to be an Outcome Failure if the core issue has not been resolved or a core need is not met. A failure can also be a process failure whereby although the activity is completed successfully, a person may still feel dissatisfied if the underlying process is perceived to be below expected standard or benchmark.

Jared Diamond lists two reasons why a society can collapse:

  1. failure to anticipate,
  2. failure to perceive.

Commercial failures

A commercial failure is a product that does not reach expectations of success, failing to come even close. A major flop goes one step further and is recognized for its complete lack of success.

Most of the items listed below had high expectations, significant financial investments, and/or widespread publicity, but fell far short of success. Obviously, due to the subjective nature of "success" and "meeting expectations", there can be disagreement about what constitutes a "major flop."


Other failures

References

  • Lansdowne, Bridget L.M. BOOM, BUST, BANG!: A History of American Failures. Staskin Mellville-Organization Press, 2004. ISBN ?.
  • Charles Perrow, Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies, New Tork: Basic Books, 1984. Paperback reprint, Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-691-00412-9
  • Sandage, Scott A. Born Losers: A History of Failure in America. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2005. ISBN 067401510X, ISBN 067402107X.

See also

External links

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