The Bad Apple vs the Systemic View

Whenever an organizational experiences an accident, crisis, or scandal, many people rush to find fault. They want to identify the individuals to hold accountable. They ask about the CEO: What did he or she know and when did they know it? I think we have to resist this urge. We must adopt a more systemic view. In most cases, the problem stems from more than just one bad apple. Firing the bad apple might be appropriate, but that alone won't prevent a recurrence. The systemic issues must be addressed.