Performativity in place of responsibility?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to question the common conviction that responsibility is the major factor influencing performance. Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of a comparison of two recent cases of ecological catastrophes. Findings – In emergency situations, locating parties able to perform gives better results than establishing responsibility for the accident. Research limitations/implications – More similar cases should be examined systematically. Practical implications – If the conclusions are accepted, the conventional mode of acting in emergencies may change. Social implications – Hopefully, the paper may redirect attention from responsibility to performativity. Originality/value – The paper opposes a commonly accepted belief and the corresponding mode of acting.