Externalization of environmental responsibility

Results of two case studies concerning one of the Czechoslovak coalmines are presented and discussed in the text. The first case study was performed in the Autumn 1988 and then was repeated in the Summer 1990. The goal of the whole research project which will continue after 1993 is to watch the process of (supposed) organizational adaptation of the coal-extraction-industry towards the environmental limits of its activity. One of the most interesting features of the coal-mine's organization investigated both in 1988 and in 1990 was the effort of the coal-mine's community to avoid responsibility of the environmental consequences of the extraction. The organization which enables the coal-mine-community to achieve this goal is described in the article. The hypothesis that the effort to avoid the environmental responsibility is an inherent feature of the industrial organization is discussed in the final part of the article.