Building Resilience in Temporary Organizations: Lessons from a Shipyard

AbstractThis chapter discusses the organizational and occupational dimensions of resilience in temporary organizing contexts and how these contribute to sustained reliable performance. When dealing with issues related to high levels of safety in complex settings, longstanding organizations with strong organizational routines are often described as the most appropriate forms of organizing. However, temporary forms of organizing are developing and little is known on how actors engaged in such contexts can enhance and sustain resilience when facing uncertainty in safety-critical contexts. This chapter addresses this gap in the literature by demonstrating that temporary organizations, such as project-based ones, can also deal with major safety issues, and that temporary forms of organizing can help complex projects to be efficiently and safely carried out. We examine this proposition by studying the case of an inter-organizational and safety-critical project: the construction by a shipyard of a series of ships. Looking at the meso-level, i.e. the occupational groups involved in the project, we show how temporary forms of organizing and occupational groups together contribute to the resilience of the whole project. We highlight that the ability of the project to coordinate temporary organizing forms is key in achieving (safe) performance.

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Safety Issues in Computerized Medical Equipment

Handbook of Research on Informatics in Healthcare and Biomedicine ◽

10.4018/978-1-59140-982-3.ch050 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 396-402 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

D. John Doyle

Keyword(s):

Radiation Therapy ◽

Medical Equipment ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Power Plants ◽

Food And Drug Administration ◽

Critical Systems ◽

Safety Issues ◽

Safety Critical ◽

Safety Critical Systems ◽

Critical Results

Computers now are being used increasingly in safety-critical systems like nuclear power plants and aircraft and, as a consequence, have occasionally been involved in deadly mishaps. As microcomputer technology continues to proliferate, computers are also now increasingly being used in medical equipment such as ventilators and pacemakers, sometimes with safety-critical results. This chapter discusses some of the special concerns that arise when computer technology is introduced into medical equipment, using two case studies as examples: the Therac-25 radiation therapy unit and Abbott’s patient controlled analgesia machine. Also discussed are some of the regulations that have been proposed by the (American) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help tackle the special problems that can arise when developing software-based medical equipment.

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CHALLENGES IN HOMOLOGATION PROCESS OF VEHICLES WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Transport ◽

10.3846/transport.2020.12904 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 (4) ◽

pp. 435-446

Author(s):

Máté Zöldy ◽

Zsolt Szalay ◽

Viktor Tihanyi

Keyword(s):

Artificial Intelligence ◽

Cyber Security ◽

Autonomous Vehicles ◽

Functional Safety ◽

Critical Systems ◽

Safety Issues ◽

Safety Critical ◽

Critical Areas ◽

Automotive Technology ◽

Information And Communication

The traditional automotive homologation processes aim to ensure the safety of vehicles on public roads. Autonomous Vehicles (AV) with Artificial Intelligence (AI) are difficult to account for in these conventional processes. This research aims to map and attempt to close the gaps in the areas of testing and approval of such automated and connected vehicles. During our research into the homologation process of traditional vehicles; functional safety issues, challenges of AI in safety critical systems, along with questions of cyber security were investigated. Our process focuses on the integration of the already existing functions and prototypes into new products safely. As a key result, we managed to identify the main gaps between Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and automotive technology: the rigidity of the automotive homologation process, functional safety, AI in safety critical areas and we propose a solution.

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Constructional Aspects for Safe Operation of 120 × 570 mm Ammunition

Problems of Mechatronics Armament Aviation Safety Engineering ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0015.5991 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 83-104

Author(s):

Wojciech FURMANEK ◽

Jacek KIJEWSKI

Keyword(s):

Subject Matter ◽

Major Focus ◽

Safe Operation ◽

Safety Issues ◽

Future Paper ◽

Reliable Performance

This paper provides a characteristic of the design of 120 × 570 mm tank ammunition with particular reference to the cartridges in service in the Polish Army. The presentation of the design and technological details was primarily focused on emphasising their influence on the phenomena occurring or likely to occur during the process of ammunition operation, and to a much lesser extent related with the reference of the characteristics of the performance of the ammunition. Due to the sheer bulk of this subject matter, this paper narrowed the issues of ammunition primarily to the aspects of entry into service, transport, storage, and operation of the specified ammunition cartridges. During these operational stages, there was major focus on the issues of ammunition safety and reliable performance. Note that these aspects are not exhaustive for the topic; this paper also serves as an introduction to a future paper which will deal with safety issues during combat operation using the 120 × 570 mm tank ammunition cartridges.

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Component-Based Development of Aeronautical Software

Computational Models, Software Engineering, and Advanced Technologies in Air Transportation ◽

10.4018/978-1-60566-800-0.ch014 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 287-314

Author(s):

Ítalo Romani de Oliveira ◽

Ricardo Alexandre Veiga Gimenes ◽

Jorge Rady de Almeida Jr.

Keyword(s):

Software Development ◽

Fuel Efficiency ◽

Verification And Validation ◽

Safety Issues ◽

Safety Critical ◽

Flight Stability ◽

Component Based Development ◽

Software Modules

Modern aircraft heavily relies on software to fly and operate, which lessens pilot workload, increases flight stability and fuel efficiency, and provides several other benefits. However, the more automated an aircraft is, the more prone to complexity its software modules are, raising special safety issues to be considered in the project. This chapter presents an overview of the Verification and Validation requirements for safety-critical software in aeronautics and, given the high costs to meet them, explains in detail a component-based methodology which can contribute to reduce the overall costs of software development and, at the same time, provide enhanced safety.

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Safety Issues in Local/Short Haul Trucking: The Drivers' Perspective

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/154193129804201702 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 42 (17) ◽

pp. 1185-1189 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Richard J. Hanowski ◽

Walter W. Wierwille ◽

Andrew W. Gellatly ◽

Ronald R. Knipling ◽

Robert Carroll

Keyword(s):

Experimental Design ◽

Focus Groups ◽

Time Pressure ◽

Causal Factors ◽

Safety Issues ◽

Safety Critical ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

Critical Issues

Focus groups were conducted to gain an understanding, from the local/short haul (L/SH) drivers' perspective, of the general safety concerns related to L/SH trucking and, specifically, the degree to which fatigue plays a role. Eleven focus groups were held in eight cities, across five states. Eighty-two L/SH drivers participated. Much of the focus group activity involved discussions of critical incidents that drivers had either learned about or had personally experienced. One of the purposes of this discussion was to generate a list of causal factors that would highlight safety-critical issues in the L/SH industry. Across all sessions, the top five critical issues/causal factors, ranked in terms of importance, were: (1) Problems Caused by Drivers of Light Vehicles, (2) Stress Due to Time Pressure, (3) Inattention, (4) Problems Caused by Roadway/Dock Design, and (5) Fatigue. These findings are being incorporated into the experimental design of a follow-up study where L/SH driving data will be collected in situ.

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Rethinking project reliability using the ambidexterity and mindfulness perspectives

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business ◽

10.1108/ijmpb-08-2015-0074 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 845-864 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Neil Turner ◽

Elmar Kutsch ◽

Stephen A. Leybourne

Keyword(s):

High Reliability ◽

Current Approach ◽

Future Research ◽

Content Type ◽

Complex Projects ◽

Reliable Performance ◽

Fresh Perspective ◽

Primary Driver ◽

Initial Survey ◽

Survey Responses

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to bring together two seemingly disparate bodies of literature – ambidexterity (the ability both to exploit and explore) and mindfulness – to take a fresh perspective on the management of uncertainty. The authors differentiate between “rule-based” and “mindfulness-based” reliability and explore project risk responses in environments characterised by varying degrees of uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach Five case organisations across a range of industries are used to illustrate how uncertainty may be prepared for and suitable responses activated. This also adds to the understanding of the nature of ambidexterity, which has previously been characterised primarily at the organisational level with relatively few studies looking at managerial actions and “switches” between modes. The data consist of initial survey responses to indicate the level of mindfulness under conditions of normality, followed by interviews studying particular incidents and the nature of the responses. Findings Key practices are identified that support high reliability in complex projects, with four managerial modes (“Traditional”, “Just-in-time”, “Infusion”, and “Entrepreneurial”) that emerged from the data. Practical implications The findings offer managers a practical framework to choose between different modes of reliable performance by considering the uncertainty of the environment and whether the primary driver of the work is efficiency or effectiveness. This allows managers to reflect on their own organisations and practices and identify whether their current approach is suitable. Originality/value This work offers new insight into risk responses in complex environments and shows how the mindfulness and ambidexterity literatures may be used as beneficial lenses to increase understanding. Blending these two schools also offers opportunities for future research.

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Safety and Decision Support in Oncology

Methods of Information in Medicine ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1635046 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 33 (04) ◽

pp. 371-381 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

A. L. Harris ◽

S. K. Das ◽

J. C. Wyatt ◽

P. Hammond

Keyword(s):

Decision Support ◽

Malignant Disease ◽

Treatment Protocols ◽

Safety Issues ◽

Safety Critical ◽

Patients With Cancer ◽

Design And Implementation ◽

Frequent Monitoring ◽

Computer Based ◽

Severity Of The Disease

Abstract:The management of patients with cancer involves the administration of complex treatment protocols with frequent monitoring of the effects of treatment on the malignant disease as well as on the general health of the patient. The number and wide variety of protocols used in treatment trials, and the amount of clinical data generated suggest the need for computer-based support. The toxicity of many of the treatments used and the severity of the disease itself underline the safety-critical nature of all decisions made by oncologists, the physicians and surgeons who treat cancer patients. This paper presents recent work on the analysis of safety issues arising from the design and implementation of a protoype decision-support system for oncologists. It illustrates the benefits of combining both informal and formal approaches to the analysis and representation of safety, firmly based on a thorough and detailed study of the domain in cooperation with oncologists, pharmacists and medical informaticians.

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A Systemic Approach to Organizational Safety Modeling and Analysis

International Journal of Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management ◽

10.4018/jiscrm.2012070104 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 42-56 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alexei Sharpanskykh

Keyword(s):

Power Plants ◽

Service Providers ◽

Complex Dynamics ◽

Incident Management ◽

Organizational Safety ◽

Formal Approach ◽

Modeling And Analysis ◽

Safety Issues ◽

Safety Critical ◽

Navigation Service

The structural and behavioral complexity of modern safety-critical organizations, such as incident management organizations, air navigation service providers, power plants, increases with every passing year. Such organizations are characterized by nonlinear dynamics involving many interrelated actors and processes. Safety issues that emerge from these complex dynamics remain increasingly hidden, until an incident or even a serious accident occurs. Traditional safety analysis methods developed long ago for much simpler organizations cannot help identifying, explaining and predicting many safety-related properties of modern organizations. To address this issue, in the paper a formal approach is proposed to establish relations between local dynamics of actors of a complex safety-critical organization and global safety-related properties that emerge from these dynamics. In contrast to the traditional approaches the organizational dynamics are specified by taking the agent perspective with an organizational layer. The approach is illustrated by a simulation case study, in which spread of safety-critical information in an air navigation service provider is investigated.

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