abstract: The construction industry faces important performance problems such as low productivity, poor quality of work, and work-related accidents and injuries. Creating a high reliability work system that is simultaneously highly productive and exceptionally safe has become a challenge for construction practitioners and scholars. The main goal of this dissertation was to create an understanding of high reliability construction work systems based on lessons from the production practices of high performance work crews. High performance work crews are defined as the work crews that constantly reach and maintain a high level of productivity and exceptional safety record while delivering high quality of work. This study was conceptualized on findings from High Reliability Organizations and with a primary focus on lean construction, human factors, safety, and error management. Toward the research objective, this dissertation answered two major questions. First, it explored the task factors and project attributes that shape and increase workers' task demands and consequently affect workers' safety, production, and quality performance. Second, it explored and investigated the production practices of construction field supervisors (foremen) to understand how successful supervisors regulate task and project demands to create a highly reliable work process. Employing case study methodology, this study explored and analyzed the work practices of six work crews and crew supervisors in different trades including concrete, masonry, and hot asphalt roofing construction. The case studies included one exceptional and one average performing crew from each trade. Four major factors were considered in the selection of exceptional crew supervisors: (1) safety performance, (2) production performance, (3) quality performance, and (4) the level of project difficulty they supervised. The data collection was carried out in three phases including: (1) interview with field supervisors to understand their production practices, (2) survey and interview with workers to understand their perception and to identify the major sources of task demands, and (3) several close field observations. Each trade's specific findings including task demands, project attributes, and production practices used by crew supervisors are presented in a separate chapter. At the end the production practices that converged to create high reliability work systems are summarized and presented in nine major categories. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Construction 2012

abstract: New technologies enable the exploration of space, high-fidelity defense systems, lighting fast intercontinental communication systems as well as medical technologies that extend and improve patient lives. The basis for these technologies is high reliability electronics devised to meet stringent design goals and to operate consistently for many years deployed in the field. An on-going concern for engineers is the consequences of ionizing radiation exposure, specifically total dose effects. For many of the different applications, there is a likelihood of exposure to radiation, which can result in device degradation and potentially failure. While the total dose effects and the resulting degradation are a well-studied field and methodologies to help mitigate degradation have been developed, there is still a need for simulation techniques to help designers understand total dose effects within their design. To that end, the work presented here details simulation techniques to analyze as well as predict the total dose response of a circuit. In this dissertation the total dose effects are broken into two sub-categories, intra-device and inter-device effects in CMOS technology. Intra-device effects degrade the performance of both n-channel and p-channel transistors, while inter-device effects result in loss of device isolation. In this work, multiple case studies are presented for which total dose degradation is of concern. Through the simulation techniques, the individual device and circuit responses are modeled post-irradiation. The use of these simulation techniques by circuit designers allow predictive simulation of total dose effects, allowing focused design changes to be implemented to increase radiation tolerance of high reliability electronics. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Electrical Engineering 2014

Organisationen wie Feuerwehren, med. Rettungsdienste oder Spezialeinheiten der Polizei zeigen auch in Situationen, die durch Unsicherheit, unvollständige Informationen oder eine sehr hohe Dynamik gekennzeichnet sind, eine effiziente und effektive Leistungsfähigkeit. Sie können deswegen als Hochleistungssysteme (HLS) bezeichnet werden. Im vorliegenden Artikel wird dargestellt wie sich Erkenntnisse der High Reliabilty Theory auf die Untersuchung von Hochleistungssystemen auswirken und welche Gemeinsamkeiten und Parallelen bestehen. Dabei wird insbesondere ein Schwerpunkt auf die Thematik des Lernens gelegt.

No description available.

Thesis advisor: Judith Vessey / Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between psychological safety, perception of working in a high reliability organization (HRO) and safety event reporting intentions among pediatric nurses working in acute care. Background: The quality and safety of patient care is dependent upon nurses to report safety events and near-misses in order to address systems’ issues and identify improvement opportunities. To encourage feedback and promote reporting, many health care organizations have adopted the high reliability framework and strategies to promote team psychological safety. A dearth of literature exists on how the pediatric nurse perceives their workplace. This study addressed this gap by measuring the pediatric nurse’s level of psychological safety, perception of whether or not they work in an HRO and their safety event reporting intentions. Methods: Using nonprobability convenience sampling, data were collected from pediatric nurses (N=244) during a one-time, anonymous, 10-minute web-based survey. The survey was distributed to members of the Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN) and by members of the National Pediatric Nurse Scientist Collaborative (NPNSC) to their respective constituent groups. The online survey comprised of four sections: a demographic form, the Safety Organizing Scale (SOS), the Team Psychological Safety Scale, and the Intention to Report Safety Events Scale. A two-part statistical model was fit using logistic regression and linear regression. Results: Psychological safety was found to have a positive and statistically significant relationship with Intention to Report Safety Events Scores (p<0.01; β=0.274). The findings also revealed that when all other variables were excluded from the statistical model, a positive and statistically significant relationship between HRO perception and safety event reporting intentions (p=0.034) existed. The logistic regression model revealed that the odds of a pediatric nurse achieving the highest safety reporting intention score of 7 increased by a factor of 0.3 with each additional year of practice. Conclusions: The findings demonstrated that a nurse’s perception of whether they work in a high reliability setting and how psychologically safe they feel profoundly effects their attitude towards safety event reporting. This work advances the state of the science by demonstrating how workplace culture, and specifically psychological safety and the HRO framework, influences reporting intentions. The information gained from this study will be useful to organizational leaders and professional groups who seek to improve patient safety reporting systems, communication strategies and existing workplace cultures. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Connell School of Nursing. / Discipline: Nursing.

Despite regulatory guidelines, unreliable financial reporting exists in organizations, creating undue financial risk-harm for their stakeholders. Normal accident theory (NAT) identifies factors in highly complex integrated systems that can have unexpected, undetected, and uncorrected system failures. High-reliability organization (HRO) theory constructs promote reliability in complex, integrated systems prone to NAT factors. Enterprise risk management (ERM) integrates NAT factors and HRO constructs under a holistic framework to achieve organizational goals and mitigate the potential for stakeholder risk-harm. Literature on how HRO constructs promote ERM in responsible integrated financial systems has been limited. The purpose of this qualitative, grounded theory study was to use HRO constructs to identify and define the psychological factors involved in the effective ERM of responsible organizational financial reporting. Standardized, open-ended interviews were used to collect inductive data from a purposeful sample of 13 reporting agents stratifying different positions in organizations that have maintained consistent operational success while attenuating stakeholder risk-harm. The data were interpreted via transcription, and subsequent iterative open, axial, and narrative coding. Results showed that elements of culture and leadership found in the HRO construct of disaster foresightedness and mitigation fostered an internal environment of successful enterprise reporting risk management to ethically achieve organizational goals and abate third-party stakeholder risk-harm. The findings will contribute to positive social change by suggesting an approach for organizations to optimize strategic objectives while minimizing stakeholders' financial risk-harm.

No description available.

In Nigeria, 50% to 70% of construction projects are delayed due to unexpected events that are linked to lapses in performance, near misses, and surprises. While researchers have theorized on the impact of mindfulness and information systems management (ISM) on unexpected events, information is lacking on how project teams can combine ISM and mindfulness in response to unexpected events in construction projects. The purpose of this case study was to examine how project teams can combine mindfulness with ISM in response to unexpected events during the execution phase of Nigerian construction projects. The framework of High Reliability Theory revealed that unexpected events could be minimized by mindfulness defined by 5 cognitive processes: preoccupation with failure, reluctance to simplify, sensitivity to operations, commitment to resilience, and deference to expertise. In-depth semi-structured interviews elicited the views of 24 project experts on team behaviors, tactics, and processes for combining mindfulness with ISM. Data analysis was conducted by open coding to identify and reduce data into themes, and axial coding was used to identify and isolate categories. Findings were that project teams could combine mindfulness with ISM in response to unexpected events by integrating effective risk, team, and communication management with appropriate training and technology infrastructure. If policymakers, project clients, and practitioners adopt practices suggested in this study, the implications for social change are that project management practices, organizational learning, and the performance of construction projects may improve, construction wastes may be reduced, and taxpayers may derive optimum benefits from public funds committed to construction projects.

Svensk militär verksamhet organiseras och leds i ett normalläge, för att snabbt kunna möta och hantera en hastigt uppkommen påfrestning. På motsvarande sätt finns annan verksamhet i samhället som verkar under liknande förutsättningar. Vad kännetecknar en militär organisation som skall hantera påfrestningar med hög operativ effekt, och vad utmärker metoden för att leda verksamheten vid påfrestning? Vilka utmaningar och lösningar kan identifieras? I syfte att vidga perspektiven gjordes en jämförelse i kontrasterande syfte mellan ett militärt förband och ett akutsjukhus. Genom en induktivt driven ansats och kvalitativ metod, genomfördes sju semistrukturerade djupintervjuer vid Luftstridsskolan i Uppsala och Lokal katastrofledning vid Gävle sjukhus. Likheterna mellan de undersökta enheterna avseende organisation och ledningsmetod samt utmaningar och lösningar kopplade till detta var stor. Med utgångspunkt i begreppen High Reliability Organizations och Ambidextrous Organizations diskuteras resultaten, som ger förutsättningar att utveckla organisation och ledningsmetod främst vid författarnas förband Luftstridsskolan. För att nå detta är författarnas konkreta rekommendationer, med stöd i empiri och litteratur, bl.a. att i högre utsträckning nyttja tvärfunktionellt sammansatta ledningsgrupper för att hantera påfrestningar eller komplexa planeringsuppgifter och därigenom minska stuprörstänkande, att sträva mot förbättrad gemensam lägesbild vid flottiljstab och att avkräva lojalitet mot beslutad organisation och ledningsmetod. Detta bedöms leda till ökad operativ effekt vid förbandet. / Swedish armed forces are normally organized for education and training on a daily basis, for the purpose of rapidly being able to deal with sudden events or strains. What signifies a military organization and command dealing with these kinds of strains whilst maintaining a high level of operational effect? What challenges do they face and what kinds of solutions are available? In order to expand the perspective a comparison was made with a military unit and an emergency hospital. This study was carried out withan inductive and qualitative method, and seven semi-structured interviews were conducted. By the perspectives of High Reliability Organizations and Ambidextrous Organizations, the results are discussed. The resemblances between the two researched units are surprisingly striking in the investigated areas of interest. In order to improve organization and command at the researched military unit, the authors recommend the following actions: the use of joint functions command groups to a greater extent in order to enhance the ability to handle strains and sudden events, to strive for a greater level of situational awareness on all levels in the organization and the demand for loyalty to organization and structure of management decided by the commander. These actions are deemed to increase the level of operational effect at the unit.

As water systems are critical infrastructures, their continuous service is essential for maintaining vital functions of society. During the past decades, a number of severe global challenges have put increasing pressure on the water systems, threatening the quality and availability of water. Digitalization is expected to play a fundamental role in managing these challenges, making the digital transformation of the water industry an imperative rather than a choice for water utility providers. However, the implementation of digital solutions also entails a number of challenges, risks and vulnerabilities to water systems. As such, water utility providers are faced with increased complexity and uncertainty, where the safety and security of the system is at stake. This thesis addresses the potential implications of a digital transformation of the water industry by exploring how digitalization affects the Swedish water sector from a safety and security perspective. By doing so, the thesis aims to enhance the understanding of how Swedish water utility providers can manage its ongoing digital transformation. The thesis consists of a qualitative research study where interviews with 16 representatives from the Swedish water industry contributed with a broad perception of the implications of the digital transformation. Theory on high reliability organizations and resilience was applied to obtain a deeper understanding of what the potential safety and security implications may entail for Swedish water utilities in managing and reaping the benefits of their digital transformation. The study finds that representatives from the Swedish water sector mainly view benefits related to the efficiency of their operations from their ongoing digital transformation, while the mentioned drawbacks are generally related to their organizational abilities in managing the emerging risks and increased level of complexity. With increasing digitalization, Swedish water utilities coincide with the high reliability organization theory to a higher extent, which emphasizes the increasing importance of employing bothtechnical reliability and organizational resilience practices. This thesis concludes that technical reliability has historically been well-managed and prioritized by utilities, whilst organizational resilience has become an increasingly important aspect to focus on with increasing digitalization. Hence, practices of organizational resilience, such as incorporating clear strategies, integrating work between divisions and increasing follow-up from disturbances, should be employed on a wider scale among water utilities. / Då vattensystem är kritisk infrastruktur är deras kontinuerliga funktion avgörande för att upprätthålla vitala funktioner i samhället. Under de senaste decennierna har ett antal allvarliga globala utmaningar ökat trycket på vattensystemen, vilket hotar vattnets kvalitet och tillgänglighet. Digitalisering anses vara avgörande för att hantera dessa utmaningar, vilket gör digitalisering av vattenindustrin till en nödvändighet snarare än ett val för VA-bolag. Att implementera digitala lösningar medför emellertid också ett antal utmaningar, risker och sårbarheter för vattensystem. VA-bolagen står således inför en ökad komplexitet och osäkerhet där systemsäkerheten står på spel. Denna uppsats behandlar de potentiella implikationer som kan uppstå av en digital transformation av vattenindustrin genom att undersöka hur digitalisering påverkar den svenska VA-sektorn ur ett säkerhetsperspektiv. Genom detta syftar uppsatsen till att öka förståelsen för hur svenska VA-bolag kan hantera sin pågående digitalisering. En kvalitativ forskningsstudie har genomförts där intervjuer med 16 representanter från den svenska VA-sektorn bidrog med en bred uppfattning om digitaliseringens implikationer för den svenska VA-sektorn. Teori om high reliability organizations och resiliens användes för att fördjupa förståelsen för vad de potentiella säkerhetsimplikationerna kan innebära för svenska VAbolag, både för hantering av riskerna och för att ta till vara på fördelarna med den digitala transformationen. Studien visar att representanter från den svenska VA-sektorn, i deras pågående digitalisering, huvudsakligen ser fördelar relaterade till effektiviteten i vattenproduktionen, medan de nämnda nackdelarna i allmänhet är relaterade till deras egna förmågor att hantera de framväxande riskerna och den ökade komplexiteten. Med ökad digitalisering kan svenska VA-bolag i högre utsträckning beskrivas med teori kring high reliability organizations, vilket medför en ökad vikt av att arbeta med både teknisk tillförlitlighet och organisatorisk resiliens. Teknisk tillförlitlighet har historiskt hanterats väl och prioriterats av VA-bolag, medan organisatorisk resiliens har blivit allt viktigare att fokusera på med ökad digitalisering. Därför drar denna uppsats slutsatsen att arbete med organisatorisk resiliens, såsom att införa tydliga strategier, integrera arbetet mellan avdelningar och öka uppföljningsarbetet efter störningar, bör utföras i större skala bland VA-bolag.