[cma]

>If there's no leader, who's responsible for decisions taken? A random person who happens to be in a team who did something which turned out to be very stupid?

Blame-shifting doesn't always happen, but when it does, it almost universally goes down the hierarchy, not up.

[hoorayimhelping]

Almost universally? Got any examples that show this almost universal attribute? Off the top of my head, from the past couple of months alone, I can think of the VW CEO, Ellen Page (reddit's former CEO) who were ousted from their companies for decisions that didn't go over well.

[noblethrasher]

We should probably put a “*” by Pao since, as far as I know, we’re not sure if she was actually responsible for the decision that ostensibly got her ousted.

[ascagnel_]

When there's a big enough controversy, the CEO will usually be one of the first heads to roll even as there are larger investigations going on (BP/Deepwater Horizon is a great example of this).

[jrs235]

(Volkswagen)

[cma]

You think the Volkswagen CEO resignation was a result of blame shifting?

[Chathamization]

Well, it seems like the situation with Ellen Pao might very well have been a case of the blame traveling down the hierarchy:

https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/3df50e/why_do...

[cafard]

In one notably hierarchical organization, the US Navy, blame certainly travels up. Captains who have been off-watch and sound asleep when a subordinate did something wrong can find their careers ended.