Suchergebnisse

This paper outlines the importance of ambiguity in organizations that manage hazardous operations in a rapidly changing environment. Three kinds of ambiguity are described: fundamental ambiguity in categories and labels for understanding what is happening; causal ambiguity for understanding cause–effect relationships that enable explanation, prediction, and intervention; and role ambiguity of agreeing on responsibilities. Examples of successful and unsuccessful ways that organizations deal with ambiguity are drawn from several industries. Although the most typical response is to avoid ambiguity or to seek a false clarity from confident leaders, more successful strategies engage diverse participants from inside and outside the organization to provide multiple perspectives and innovative suggestions that contribute to learning‐by‐doing.

AbstractMotivated by a medical diagnosis problem that generates a wide range of problem‐solving behaviors, three social scientists with different domains of expertise and different perspectives collaborated using a system dynamics modeling approach to do theory building in the social sciences. The collaboration led to a model of dynamic problem solving grounded in a unique dataset of 39 anesthesia residents confronting a simulated patient with a breathing problem, drawing upon and linking together theories of sensemaking and decision making. In this paper, we describe the collaborative journey, show glimpses of several models that we produced along the way, and reflect on some lessons that we learned about linking models, theory and data, about model‐based collaboration, and about communication. Copyright © 2013 System Dynamics Society

In this paper, we examine the changing nature of systems engineering work and, in particular, how The MITRE Corporation is confronting the challenges of expanding its role and capabilities to deliver what it calls "Enterprise Systems Engineering" to its government clients. Systems engineers exemplify technical knowledge workers whose work is expanding beyond the traditional skills and habits of thought developed through their disciplinary training (cf., Davidz 2006). Changes in technology, systems acquisition practices, and enterprise structures are challenging systems engineers to expand their roles and capabilities to manage the boundaries among technological systems and organizations of many sizes and types (e.g., government customers, systems integrators, suppliers, end users). Systems development takes place in an ever more complex environment of inter-organizational enterprises where implementation increasingly catalyzes enterprise change and demands greatly expanded and often unrecognized roles beyond that of technical expert or project manager.