scholarly journals Integrated System Design: Promoting the Capacity of Sociotechnical Systems for Adaptation through Extensions of Cognitive Work Analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neelam Naikar ◽  
Ben Elix
Keyword(s):  
System Design ◽  
Sociotechnical Systems ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
Cognitive Work Analysis ◽  
Work Analysis ◽  
Cognitive Work ◽  
Integrated System Design

scholarly journals Designing for self-organisation in sociotechnical systems: resilience engineering, cognitive work analysis, and the diagram of work organisation possibilities

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neelam Naikar ◽  
Ben Elix
Keyword(s):  
Task Demands ◽  
Sociotechnical Systems ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Work Organisation ◽  
Resilience Engineering ◽  
Cognitive Work Analysis ◽  
Work Analysis ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Cognitive Work ◽  
Self Organisation

Abstract In designing sociotechnical systems, accounting for the phenomenon of self-organisation is critical. Empirical studies show that workers in these systems adapt not just their individual behaviours, but also their collective structures to deal with complex work environments. The concept of self-organisation can explain how such adaptations can be achieved spontaneously, continuously, and relatively seamlessly, and why this phenomenon is important for dealing with instability, uncertainty, and unpredictability in the task demands. However, existing design approaches such as resilience engineering and cognitive work analysis are limited in their capacity to design for self-organisation. This paper demonstrates that the diagram of work organisation possibilities, a recent addition to cognitive work analysis, provides a sound theoretical basis for designing for self-organisation. That is, it shows how essential components of the diagram are aligned with the concept of self-organisation and are well-grounded in empirical observations of adaptation in a variety of sociotechnical systems, specifically emergency management, military, and healthcare systems. Consequently, designs based on this diagram should have the potential to facilitate the emergence of new spatial, temporal, and functional organisational structures from the flexible actions of individual, interacting actors, thereby enhancing a system’s capacity for dealing with a dynamic, ambiguous work environment. Future research should focus on validating these ideas and demonstrating their value in industrial settings.

Designing sociotechnical systems with cognitive work analysis: putting theory back into practice

Ergonomics ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 822-851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gemma J.M. Read ◽  
Paul M. Salmon ◽  
Michael G. Lenné ◽  
Neville A. Stanton
Keyword(s):  
Sociotechnical Systems ◽  
Cognitive Work Analysis ◽  
Work Analysis ◽  
Cognitive Work

A Methodology for Work Domain Analysis, the First Phase of Cognitive Work Analysis

2005 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 312-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neelam Naikar
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Domain Analysis ◽  
Sociotechnical Systems ◽  
Cognitive Work Analysis ◽  
Widespread Application ◽  
Work Analysis ◽  
Cognitive Work ◽  
Work Domain Analysis ◽  
Analysis Design ◽  
Work Domain

Cognitive work analysis (CWA) is gaining recognition as a promising approach for the analysis, design, and evaluation of complex, sociotechnical systems. The successful and widespread application of CWA, however, is limited by the lack of a well-defined methodology. This paper proposes a methodology for performing work domain analysis (WDA), the first phase of CWA, and it illustrates this methodology with a work domain of a home — a 'system' that will be highly familiar to everyone. This research will help to: make WDA more accessible to researchers and practitioners who were not involved in the development of WDA or who cannot be apprenticed to experts in WDA; reduce the amount of time and effort it takes to perform WDA even for experts in the area; and facilitate the application of WDA to large-scale, industry projects.

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