Unexpected events, particularly those creating surprise, interrupt ongoing mental and behavioral processes, creating an increased potential for unwanted outcomes to the situation. Human reactions to unexpected events vary. One can hypothesize a number of reasons for this variation, including level of domain expertise, previous experience with similar events, emotional connotation, and the contextual surround of the event. Whereas interrupting ongoing activities and focusing attention temporarily on a surprising event may be a useful evolutionary response to a threatening situation, the same process may be maladaptive in today's highly dynamic world. The purpose of this study was to investigate how different aspects of expertise affected one's ability to detect and react to an unexpected event. It was hypothesized that there were two general types of expertise, domain expertise and judgment (Hammond, 2000), which influenced one's performance on dealing with an unexpected event. The goal of the research was to parse out the relative contribution of domain expertise, so the role of judgment could be revealed. The research questions for this study were: (a) Can we identify specific knowledges and skills which enhance one's ability to deal with unexpected events? (b) Are these skills "automatically" included in domain expertise? (c) How does domain expertise improve or deter one's reaction and response to unexpected events? (d) What role does judgment play in responding to surprise? The general hypothesis was that good judgment would influence the process of surprise at different stages and in different ways than would domain expertise. The conclusions from this research indicated that good judgment had a significant positive effect in helping pilots deal with unexpected events. This was most pronounced when domain expertise was low.

Risk is everywhere and it is something which we face in everyday life. Same is the case with projects. Projects are complex and risks are inherent in projects. It is not unusual for unexpected events to occur and for uncertainty to emerge in projects. These events contribute to project riskswhich require to be dealt with so that projects could continue to run effectively. The need for good project risk management is therefore especially important as it could determine the successof the project or otherwise. However, research on the factors that make project risk response successful has been neglected. Contemporary researchers focused on risk management phases other than risk response. Our main focus in this paper is to indicate determinants of project risk response success and their relative importance in the construction industry of Sweden. The construction industry is considered as construction projects are not only important but they identify tangibly with the physical outputs of projects and exemplify the uncertainty and risks that are present in this type of projects. Sweden is chosen as the context of our study owing to the immense contributions of the construction sector towards the country’s growth and GDP. On thebasis of extensive literature review, we have come up with the determinants for project risk response success and developed a proposed conceptual model. A quantitative study is undertaken with the administration of questionnaires. The empirical data is gathered from project managers in the construction industry of Sweden for this purpose. Project managers are selected as respondents as they would be the ones controlling and managing projects, along with responding to the various risks subjected to in projects. Hypotheses have been generated for this research and the results are analyzed to determine if these hypotheses are to be accepted or rejected. For data analysis, SPSS is used. The results are drawn by the use of statistical tools like ANOVA, correlation and t-tests. These outcomes will lead to the conclusion of our study as to what the factors are that determine project risk response success and their relative importance. A revised conceptual model is finally developed to address the findings of our research. This research found a set of seven success factors which can be used as a guideline for project risk response success. These factors are (1) Team competency and skills, (2) Effective communication, (3) Active leadership, (4) Negotiation and coordination, (5)Hierarchical structure, (6) Behaviour and (7) Empowerment. These determinants of project risk response success can be generalized to the construction industry in Sweden. Keywords: project risk, project risk management, uncertainty, unexpected events, risk response, construction industry.

Submitted by Cristiane Oliveira (cristiane.oliveira@fgv.br) on 2011-06-10T19:53:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 83090200064.pdf: 2278221 bytes, checksum: 037a429dbfbd4dc5cb0121269d820662 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Vera Lúcia Mourão(vera.mourao@fgv.br) on 2011-06-10T19:59:03Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 83090200064.pdf: 2278221 bytes, checksum: 037a429dbfbd4dc5cb0121269d820662 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Vera Lúcia Mourão(vera.mourao@fgv.br) on 2011-06-10T20:00:47Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 83090200064.pdf: 2278221 bytes, checksum: 037a429dbfbd4dc5cb0121269d820662 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2011-06-10T21:35:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 83090200064.pdf: 2278221 bytes, checksum: 037a429dbfbd4dc5cb0121269d820662 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-02-02 / Reputation is considered the most important asset of companies. It enables to set up business relationship and ensure the good functioning of the organization. When an unexpected even crops up, reputation could be threatened. Managers, leaders of the organization, need to demonstrate reactivity, a capacity of responding to stakeholders‟ requirements and a capacity to detect and to rectify faults within the organization through a learning process, in order to avoid negative consequences. The latter could tarnish reputation and impact the operational development of the company. Through crisis communication, we observed that Air France adopted different postures after the crash of the flight 447. These ones were adapted to stakeholders‟ requirements and to the degree of threat that the company suffered. Just after the accident, the company decided to use the recognition strategy by assuming a symbolic responsibility and by communicating uppermost to the families of victims and to the media. The following weeks, the company privileged the strategy of silence which consists in not to communicate directly with the media. Finally, Air France used the 'scapegoat' strategy when the company was subjected to direct attacks. Companies‟ reactions summed up to the advance of the ongoing judiciary investigation revealed 'historical' organizational faults within the company, as for instance, the lack of communication between pilots and managers or the managers technical and operational insensitivity. Although internal and external issues, Air France demonstrated that a well managed crisis communication limits financial and reputational impacts. Consequently, the company suffers limited negative consequences of this crisis. / A reputação é considerada o ativo mais importante das empresas. Ela permite o estabelecimento de relações comerciais e garante um bom funcionamento da organização. Quando um evento inesperado surge, a reputação pode ser ameaçada. Os gerentes, líderes da organização, têm então que demonstrar reatividade e capacidade em responder as necessidades dos stakeholders, e capacidade de detectar e consertar as falhas dentro da organização através de um processo de aprendizagem, para evitar conseqüências negativas que poderiam danificar a reputação e impactar o desenvolvimento operacional da empresa. Através da comunicação de crise, observamos que depois da queda do avião AF 447, a companhia Air France adotou diferentes posturas adaptadas ao pedido dos stakeholders e ao grau de ameaça sofrido. Logo depois do acidente, a empresa decidiu adotar a estratégia do reconhecimento, assumindo uma responsabilidade simbólica e comunicando prioritariamente para as famílias das vitimas e para a mídia. Nas seguintes semanas ela utilizou a estratégia do silêncio que consiste em não comunicar diretamente a mídia. Finalmente, ela usou a estratégia do 'bode expiatório' quando ela foi sujeita a ataques diretos. As reações da empresa somadas ao avanço das investigações judiciais revelaram falhas organizacionais 'históricas' dentro da própria empresa, como por exemplo, a falta de comunicação entre pilotos e gerentes ou uma falha de sensibilidade técnica e operacional da parte dos gerentes. Apesar de problemas interno e externo, a Air France demonstrou que uma comunicação de crise bem gerenciada limita os impactos financeiros e de reputação. As conseqüências negativas sofridas pela companhia Air France foram limitadas.

Planning is essential for an action-oriented, goal-driven software agent. In order to achieve a specific goal, an agent must first generate a plan. However, as the poet Robert Burns once noted, the best laid plans can often go awry. Each step of the plan is subject to the possibility of failure, a truth particularly relevant in the realworld or a realistic simulated environment. External influences not originally considered can often cause sudden, unanticipated consequences during the execution of the plan. When this happens, an intelligent software agent needs to answer the following important questions: What are the consequences of this event on its plan? How will the plan be affected? Can the plan be adjusted to accommodate the unanticipated effects? The research described in this thesis develops a model whereby intelligent agents can automatically determine consequences of unplanned events. Such a model provides agents with the ability to detect if and how events will affect the plan. This allows agents to subsequently modify the plan to mitigate unfavorable consequences or take advantage of favorable consequences.

Sammanfattning Bakgrund: Operationssalen är en högteknologisk och riskfylld miljö, där patienten ofta befinner sig i ett utsatt läge. I operationssjuksköterskans profession ingår att ge en säker vård till patienten vilket bland annat innebär att göra riskanalyser och arbeta aktivt för att förebygga patientskador. Trots att verktyg för att säkerställa patientsäkerheten finns, såsom WHO:s checklista för säker kirurgi, kan oväntade händelser uppstå. Oväntade händelser kan innebära uppkomna fel och komplikationer vilket kan äventyra patientens säkerhet. Syfte: Att undersöka operationssjuksköterskans upplevelse av oväntade händelser på operationssalen. Metod: Studien var en kvalitativ intervjustudie som genomfördes med semistrukturerade frågor. Totalt åtta operationssjuksköterskor intervjuades på två sjukhus i södra Sverige. Intervjuerna analyserades med latent kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Efter analysen framträdde tre teman som beskrev hur operationssjuksköterskan upplever oväntade händelser på operationssalen; Tryggheten i sig själv och hos andra, Upplevelsen av att bevara eller förlora kontrollen och Känslomässiga aspekter av oväntade händelser. Hur välfungerande teamet var och graden av yrkeserfarenhet upplevdes vara faktorer som påverkade hur operationssjuksköterskan kunde hantera en oväntad händelse. Blandade känslor som otillräcklighet och stimulans i yrket framkom. Slutsats: Operationssjuksköterskor känner generellt en trygghet när oväntade händelser sker. Studien visar på både positiva och negativa upplevelser i samband med en oväntad händelse. / Abstract Background: The operating room is a high-tech and risky environment, where the patient is often in a vulnerable position. The operation nurse’s profession includes providing safe care to the patient which means, among other things, doing risk analyzes and working actively to prevent patient injuries. Although there are tools to ensure patient safety, such as the WHO Safe Surgery Checklist, unexpected events can occur. Unexpected events can involve arised errors and complications which can jeopardize the patient's safety. Aim: To investigate the operation theater nurse's experience of unexpected events in the operating room. Method: The study was a qualitative interview study conducted with semi-structured questions. A total of eight operating theater nurse’s were interviewed at two hospitals in southern Sweden. The interviews were analyzed with qualitative content analysis Result: Following the analysis three themes emerged that described how operating theatre nurses’ experienced unexpected events in the operating room; Feeling confident in oneself and others. The experience of preserving and losing control and Emotional aspects of unexpected events. How well-functioning the team is and the degree of professional experience are perceived to be key factors the influence how to handle an unexpected event. Mixed feelings such as inadequacy and stimulation in the profession emerged.  Conclusion: Operating theatre nurses generally feel secure when unexpected events occur. The study shows both positive and negative experiences in connection with an unexpected event.

Research from the international business field have demonstrated that firms operating both in domestic and foreign markets have a greater exposition to market turbulences and disturbances. The literature has established that dynamism, flexibility and agility are crucial capabilities. In fact, firms displaying the previously listed capabilities have a greater chance to survive to turbulent and disturbing market events. Given the current Covid-19 crisis impacting the global market, this paper is further justified by the need for diverse and deeper research on how firms develop so-called “resilience” to survive to disruptive events such as the current pandemic. Furthermore, Business Model Innovation is proposed by the literature as a way to build that organizational resilience. Especially, the adaptation of the Business Model to a more Digital Business Model. The literature presented Digital Business Model as a way for firms to build flexibility and agility capabilities. More specifically, the study aims to analyze how Swedish international manufacturing SMEs develop organizational resilience. Thanks to the four semistructured interviews carried out with four top manager part of Swedish international manufacturing SMEs, this qualitative study has been able to answer the given research question: “How can international manufacturing SMEs develop resilience through adapting a digital business model in order to survive during disruptive market changes?” The primary and secondary data were collected and analyzed according to the constructed conceptual framework. In conclusion, it can be noticed that the findings, based on empirical data, are aligned with the literature and demonstrate that in order to navigate in those turbulent international market environments firms need have a flexible and agile organizational structure. Furthermore, those findings highlight that the implementation of a Digital Business Model enables firms to develop that flexibility and agility, therefore leading to organizational resilience. However, surprisingly, the data shows that if most of the firms did implement Digital Business Model, those Business Model Innovation are not permanent but rather temporary.

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.