Coping with different system logics of standardization in regulatory regimes. Norwegian offshore experience

Abstract

This paper addresses the role of standardization in risk governance and explores challenges when unifying different system logics and standardizations in the regulator-regulated relationships in different industrial, political, and cultural contexts. High-risk regulatory regimes have been at the forefront in developing regulations management, founded on function-, purpose- and goal-based regulations. A key perspective in our analysis is to examine the importance of “standardization” as an institutional approach and regulatory mechanism. The new era of free trade and globalization causes constant reorganization in industries that are trying to seize opportunities and increase competitiveness. The high-risk industries today, therefore, are undergoing major changes, due to downsizing and mergers, which inevitably affect and challenge their safety levels. The paper bases its discussion on several empirical studies of industrial dynamics and innovation in petroleum, mainly from the empirical context of the North Sea petroleum region.