Paradigm (glossary)
A view of the world that may or may not conflict with accepted scientific principles. -- adapted from (Vaughn 1997, 196)
Sources
Vaughn, Diane 1997. The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Original edition, 1996.
Discussion
Although the standard definition of paradigm is simply example, the word has come to mean in Vaughn's sense a way of thinking that may be positive or negative with respect to the Culture involved in the development and operation of a system, such as the Challenger. In a positive sense paradigm can mean the way of thinking about the systems engineering methodology itself.