Making Sense in Pitch Darkness: An Exploration of the Sociomateriality of Sensemaking in Crises

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Berthod ◽  
Gordon Müller-Seitz
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Emotional Distress ◽  
System Reliability ◽  
Abrupt Change ◽  
Automated Systems ◽  
Organizational Process ◽  
Making Sense

A brief failure of one item on the display of the information system (IS) on Flight AF 447 wrought havoc in the coordination between the pilots and the aircraft, leading to the loss of all 228 lives on board. In this essay, we ask the following question: How can the very instruments supposed to ensure our safety and make organizations more reliable lead a team to destruction? We propose that the imbrication of material and human agencies in such highly automated systems drives an attitude of “mindful indifference” (i.e., the capacity for experienced operators to distinguish problems that could turn into critical ones from problems that can be tolerated on account of the overall system reliability). An abrupt change in this imbrication provoked emotional distress and focused the pilots’ attention toward the machine, instead of triggering an organizational process of sensemaking. We highlight the role of leadership in such situations.

Seven Canons of ICC Treaty Interpretation: Making Sense of Article 25's Rorschach Blot

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 755-788 ◽  
Author(s):  
LEILA NADYA SADAT ◽  
JARROD M. JOLLY
Keyword(s):  
Rome Statute ◽  
Correct Interpretation ◽  
International Treaty ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Treaty Interpretation ◽  
Substantive Law ◽  
Interpretative Framework

AbstractThis article draws on well-established understandings of international treaty interpretation and the role of the judicial function to propose seven canons of treaty construction that may serve as the basis of a principled interpretation of the substantive law of the Rome Statute. This interpretative framework is then applied to the seemingly intractable debate within the Court and among scholars over the correct interpretation of Article 25, on modes of liability. The seven canons provide guidelines that may enable the ‘Rorschach blot’ of Article 25, capable of many divergent interpretations, to become uniformly and consistently understood and interpreted.

Fault Diagnosis and Reliability Growth for Information System

2014 ◽  
Vol 590 ◽  
pp. 763-767
Author(s):  
Zhi Hui Huang
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Bayesian Network ◽  
System Reliability ◽  
Functional Module ◽  
Decision Problems ◽  
Reliability Growth ◽  
Failure Data ◽  
Manufacturing Execution Systems ◽  
Growth Planning ◽  
Manufacturing Execution

This paper aiming at the zero-failure data and uncertain-decision problems exist in the information system reliability growth process, it proposes to build the Bayesian network topology of FMEA. It adopts Leaky Noisy-OR model, and it analyses the probability that the subsystem functional module will go wrong in quantity. It solves the problem of identifying the vague and incomplete information exists in the complex system rapidly and accurately, laying the foundation for further study of the reliability growth comprehensive ability assessment of system based on the Bayesian network. In this paper, on the background of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) engineering, aimed at research on models and evaluation methods of reliability growth for MES, enclosing reliability of MES task and design target, reliability growth test and analysis methods, it proposes the goal of MES reliability growth planning.

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