853 research outputs found

    Issues in benchmarking human reliability analysis methods : a literature review.

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    The boundary of sustainability reporting: Evidence from the FTSE100

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    Purpose. The aim of this paper is to use a multidisciplinary theoretical understanding of boundary setting to develop a quadripartite model in which sustainability reporting boundaries are classified as ‘Reputation Management’, ‘Ownership and Control’, ‘Accountability; and, ‘Stakeholder Engagement’. Content analysis is then used to empirically test the model. Design/approach. Using impression management theory, rationalism, systems and contingency theory, and network theory a model is created which classifies sustainability reporting boundaries. Content analysis is used to empirically test boundaries across the disclosure of 49 GRI topics by the FTSE100. Findings. Sustainability reporting fails to discharge accountability due to adoption of narrow ‘Reputation Management’ boundaries. Boundaries are significantly (p<0.0001) narrower than previous research suggests. Findings support Impression Management Theory as the strongest theory to predict reporting content. An Ownership and Control boundary, although widely criticised, represents the boundary of progressive reporters, lending marginal support for economic theories. Accountability boundaries are scarce. No evidence was found for Stakeholder Engagement boundaries. Practical Implications. The determination of boundary is critical to the discharge of accountability. A critical consideration of boundary setting is required, including authentic stakeholder engagement in determining boundaries and transparency of boundary adopted. The results are ranked to enable benchmarking of the FTSE100. Boundaries can be widened through regulation or ‘name and shame campaigns’. Originality/value. This paper provides a theory-informed advancement in thinking on sustainability reporting boundary setting and the importance of this for advancing sustainability reporting quality

    Distributed Learning System Design: A New Approach and an Agenda for Future Research

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    This article presents a theoretical framework designed to guide distributed learning design, with the goal of enhancing the effectiveness of distributed learning systems. The authors begin with a review of the extant research on distributed learning design, and themes embedded in this literature are extracted and discussed to identify critical gaps that should be addressed by future work in this area. A conceptual framework that integrates instructional objectives, targeted competencies, instructional design considerations, and technological features is then developed to address the most pressing gaps in current research and practice. The rationale and logic underlying this framework is explicated. The framework is designed to help guide trainers and instructional designers through critical stages of the distributed learning system design process. In addition, it is intended to help researchers identify critical issues that should serve as the focus of future research efforts. Recommendations and future research directions are presented and discussed

    Non-conscious errors in the control of dynamic events synchronized with heartbeats: A new challenge for human reliability study

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    This paper studies the synchronization between dynamic events with heartbeats and its impact on non-conscious errors in the control of dynamic events. It proposes a methodology to compare two groups of subjects: a group for which alarms are synchronized with the heartbeats of the subjects and a group for which they are not. Quantitative and subjective data were recorded during four experimental phases from a low level to a high level of workload. Results showed that there was a significant impact of such a synchronization of events with heartbeat: people produced more errors when this synchronization was present and they were not really conscious about the disruption of their abilities. This study is very promising and shows the interest of developing future on-line or off-line human reliability assessment methods based on unsafe behaviors associated with this synchronization

    Systems model for dynamic human error during accident sequences

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    Statement of responsibility on title page reads: Y. Huang, N. Siu, D. Lanning, J. Carroll, and V. Dang"December 1991."Includes bibliographical references (pages 153-155)Final report: "A systems model for dynamic human error during accident sequences"This report describes a systems-based operating crew model designed to simulate the behavior of an nuclear power plant control room crew during an accident scenario. This model can lead to an improved treatment of potential operator-induced multiple failures, since it deals directly with the causal factors underlying individual and group behavior. It is intended that the model, or more advanced developments of the model, will be used in the human reliability analysis portion of a probabilistic risk assessment study, where careful treatment of multiple, dependent failures is required. The model treats the members of the control room crew as separate, reasoning entities. These entities receive information from the plant and each other, process that information, perform actions that affect the plant, and provide information to the other crew members.The information retrieval, processing, and output activities are affected by the characteristics of the individual operator (e.g., his technical ability) and his relationship (measured in terms of "confidence level") with his fellow operators. Group behavior is modeled as the implicit result of individual operator behavior and the interactions between operators. The model is applied towards the analysis of steam generator tube rupture (SGTR) accidents at a non-U.S. pressurized water reactor, using the SIMSCRIPT 11.5 programming language. Benchmark runs, comparing the model predictions with videotaped observations of the performances of three different crews during SGTR training exercises, are performed to tune a small number of model parameters. The tuned model is then applied in a blind test analysis of a fourth crew. In both the benchmarking and blind test runs, the model performs quite well in predicting the occurrence, ordering, and timing of key events.The model is also employed in a number of sensitivity analyses that demonstrate the robustness of the model (it generates plausible results even when the model parameters are assigned values not representative of observed crews) and the model's usefulness in investigating key issues (e.g., the effect of stress buildup on crew performance). iSupported by the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission: NRC-04-89-35

    DesÄ°Qual: Destination in Motion. Emotional Engagement as a Determinant of Service Quality. Service Design for a Personalised Travelling Experience and Well-Being.

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    The purpose of this study is to explore how values and emotional engagement impact well-being in Self-Service-Technology (SST). By employing methods of roleplay during a multiple case study, the narrative is visually documented and analysed through service design and social-science research tools. Previous studies indicate that the amount of value creation impacts service quality. This study proves that even though value creation is the fundamental foundation of services, it is the emotional engagement and how it is managed that leaves the highest impact on well-being. Quality of engagement has more accurately echoed the nature of the case narratives. Hence, attention to the engagement rhythm, creating services that encourage personal empathic interactions, and providing support through naturalness communication at times of negative engagement may lead to loyalty. Combining methods of social science research and service design has made the analysis approach quite demanding. Defining the multiple-case boundaries has presented some complications. Results indicate that human-agent empathic interactions can be regarded as an unattainable luxury in the wake of airport digital transformation; nevertheless, the criteria of engagement in learning and psychosocial well-being may be adopted to create effective digital services. DesİQual is an instrument model synthesised from the classical foundation of service marketing. For intangible services, the model can be utilised to explore values, emotional engagement, and digital well-being. The original concept of the door-to-door journey — combining air and ground transport through the use of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) — can be an inevitable future scenario. Such concept has been examined through the perception of multiple archetypes, and opportunities are presented within the user experience map. The pattern and results of this study can be very useful in the field of service marketing and education

    Determinants of employee compensation in an organisation : an exploratory study

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    Compensation is a discretionary concept whose determinants may not necessarily be the same in all organisations. This study reports on the extent to which a limited number of determinants of compensation, as identified in this study, namely job performance, external equity, job families, organisational tenure and employee skill, predict employee compensation in an organisation. A convenience sample was drawn from the target population in the Gauteng area. Three small and medium-sized organisations were included in the sample, which consisted of a state-owned organisation in the aviation sector, a parastatal company in the finance development sector, and a private company in the banking sector. A categorical multiple regression analysis was conducted. The findings of this study reflect a greater consistency in four of the six variables as strong predictors of employee compensation, namely employee skill, employee performance, job family and job grade. These factors are strongly related to employee compensation and are regarded as strong predictors of it. The other predictors, namely external equity and tenure, can be considered to be of marginal significance as predictors of employee compensation. However, the results also indicate that these predictors may be more significant in state-owned and parastatal companies, in comparison to private companies. In addition, the determinants of employee compensation may also depend on the type and size of the organisation.Graduate School of Business LeadershipM.B.L

    An Agent Based Model to Assess Crew Temporal Variability During U.S. Navy Shipboard Operations

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    Understanding the factors that affect human performance variability as well as their temporal impacts is an essential element in fully integrating and designing complex, adaptive environments. This understanding is particularly necessary for high stakes, time-critical routines such as those performed during nuclear reactor, air traffic control, and military operations. Over the last three decades significant efforts have emerged to demonstrate and apply a host of techniques to include Discrete Event Simulation, Bayesian Belief Networks, Neural Networks, and a multitude of existing software applications to provide relevant assessments of human task performance and temporal variability. The objective of this research was to design and develop a novel Agent Based Modeling and Simulation (ABMS) methodology to generate a timeline of work and assess impacts of crew temporal variability during U.S. Navy Small Boat Defense operations in littoral waters. The developed ABMS methodology included human performance models for six crew members (agents) as well as a threat craft, and incorporated varying levels of crew capability and task support. AnyLogic ABMS software was used to simultaneously provide detailed measures of individual sailor performance and of system-level emergent behavior. This methodology and these models were adapted and built to assure extensibility across a broad range of U.S. Navy shipboard operations. Application of the developed ABMS methodology effectively demonstrated a way to visualize and quantify impacts/uncertainties of human temporal variability on both workload and crew effectiveness during U.S. Navy shipboard operations

    How to keep drivers engaged while supervising driving automation? A literature survey and categorization of six solution areas

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    This work aimed to organise recommendations for keeping people engaged during human supervision of driving automation, encouraging a safe and acceptable introduction of automated driving systems. First, heuristic knowledge of human factors, ergonomics, and psychological theory was used to propose solution areas to human supervisory control problems of sustained attention. Driving and non-driving research examples were drawn to substantiate the solution areas. Automotive manufacturers might (1) avoid this supervisory role altogether, (2) reduce it in objective ways or (3) alter its subjective experiences, (4) utilize conditioning learning principles such as with gamification and/or selection/training techniques, (5) support internal driver cognitive processes and mental models and/or (6) leverage externally situated information regarding relations between the driver, the driving task, and the driving environment. Second, a cross-domain literature survey of influential human-automation interaction research was conducted for how to keep engagement/attention in supervisory control. The solution areas (via numeric theme codes) were found to be reliably applied from independent rater categorisations of research recommendations. Areas (5) and (6) were addressed by around 70% or more of the studies, areas (2) and (4) in around 50% of the studies, and areas (3) and (1) in less than around 20% and 5%, respectively. The present contribution offers a guiding organisational framework towards improving human attention while supervising driving automation.submittedVersio
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