Diane Vaughan coined the term, “normalization of deviance” In her book, The Challenger Launch Decision (1996). She referred to normalization of deviance as a process through which deviance from correct or proper behavior becomes normalized in corporate culture (Vaughan 1996). She showed how ignoring minor problems in NASA led to an incrementally wide array of acceptable behavior, which should not have been allowed. This deviance in behavior ultimately led to the Challenger disaster. This phenomenon is very common in business. Facebook is one of the best examples of this. For years, top executives at Facebook have known that the company has aided and abetted political polarization, ethnic cleansing, and civil unrest. The company is also aware that its algorithms have allowed disinformation and fake news to spread. The company has also battled with privacy violation issues since its inception.
