Reflexivity Without Reform: Problematizing Institutional Self-Examination as a Blame Management Strategy

How Evaluations, Internal Reviews, and “Lessons Learned” Exercises Serve Symbolic Rather Than Structural Functions

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Introduction

In the aftermath of public failure, it is common for institutions to respond with gestures of self-examination. They promise internal reviews, initiate evaluations, and conduct “lessons learned” exercises designed to signal introspection and a commitment to improvement. These reflexive processes are often received positively, regarded as signs of maturity, transparency, and organizational learning. Yet, in many cases, such exercises produce little more than rhetorical closure. They offer symbolic reassurance without enacting meaningful change. This article examines how institutional reflexivity—when decoupled from reform—serves as a subtle yet powerful strategy of blame avoidance. Through problematization, it explores how organizations simulate responsibility through self-diagnosis while leaving underlying systems and power relations untouched.