Problem Investigation in High-Hazard Industries: Creating and Negotiational Learning

Sachi Hatakenaka, Jenny Rudolph and John S. Carroll

No 4360-02, Working papers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management

Abstract: High-hazard or high-reliability organizations are ideal for the study of organizational learning processes because of their intense mindfulness regarding problems. We examine 27 problem investigation teams at 3 nuclear power plants whose task was to report to management about causes and corrective actions and thereby contribute to organizational learning and change. Questionnaires were given to team members and manager recipients of the team reports, and team reports were coded regarding their analyses and recommendations. Our results showed variable depth and creativity in the reports, with better reports associated with more team training and experience, and more diversity of work experience. Ratings of report quality, individual learning, and plant changes by team members and managers suggested that reports were only partially effective as boundary objects to reach shared understanding and negotiate action plans. Team members rated their reports more favorably when they had better access to information and found generic lessons for the plant and failed barriers that could have prevented problems. Managers rated reports more favorably when the teams had more investigation experience, better access to information, and stronger corrective actions.

Keywords: organizational change; organizational learning; high-hazard industries; nuclear power plants; management of change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2002-05-03
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/659 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:mit:sloanp:659

Ordering information: This working paper can be ordered from
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (MIT), SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, 50 MEMORIAL DRIVE CAMBRIDGE MASSACHUSETTS 02142 USA

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Working papers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (MIT), SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, 50 MEMORIAL DRIVE CAMBRIDGE MASSACHUSETTS 02142 USA. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by None ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).