TY - BOOK
T1 - Acting under uncertainty
T2 - The core-task analysis in ecological study of work
AU - Norros, Leena
PY - 2004
Y1 - 2004
N2 - This book describes the emergence of a new method, the
Core-Task Analysis (CTA), to analyse complex work in
risky environments. The notion "core-task" denotes the
objectives and the outcome-critical content of work,
which should be taken into account by the actors in
everyday task performance. The orientation to the core
task characterises work practices and culture.
CTA adopts a systemic notion of human activity. Situated
actions are conceived from an ecological,
human-environment interaction perspective. The CTA
methodology integrates several theoretical approaches. It
exploits ideas of the cultural-historical theory of
activity and the functionally oriented cognitive task
analysis tradition, and it also borrows the pragmatist
concept of habit for the analysis of practice. These
approaches share a systemic notion of human activity and
conceive action from an ecological, human-environment
interaction perspective. Explaining actions from the
point of view of their meanings characterises these
approaches and the CTA-methodology. The CTA can be used
in analysis, evaluation and development of work practices
and culture, and it provides a framework for
interdisciplinary studies of high-technology work.
The method was developed in studies of work in four
technologically highly mediated work domains. These are
flexible manufacturing, nuclear power plant operations,
anaesthesia and navigation of large ships. Furthermore,
the book reports empirical results concerning the nature
of decision making and action under dynamic, complex and
uncertain environments, and comprehends habits that might
explain the observed differences in actual situational
courses of action. The interpretativeness or reactiveness
of habits of action is the central dimension that
characterises the situated appropriateness of actions,
while the core-task orientation defines contextual
coherence of actions. The book also provides evidence of
the deficiency of the notion of a linear development of
expertise as a function of experience. It is argued that,
rather, depending on peoples' orientation to work and on
their habits of action, at least two different
development perspectives emerge, which were labelled the
trajectory of reflective expertise and that of
confirmative expertise. In the final chapter the method
is discussed in the context of the pragmatist conceptions
of adaptive behaviour and learning. The book winds up by
introducing preliminary thoughts of the use of the
Core-task Analysis as a tool in managing high-reliability
organisations.
AB - This book describes the emergence of a new method, the
Core-Task Analysis (CTA), to analyse complex work in
risky environments. The notion "core-task" denotes the
objectives and the outcome-critical content of work,
which should be taken into account by the actors in
everyday task performance. The orientation to the core
task characterises work practices and culture.
CTA adopts a systemic notion of human activity. Situated
actions are conceived from an ecological,
human-environment interaction perspective. The CTA
methodology integrates several theoretical approaches. It
exploits ideas of the cultural-historical theory of
activity and the functionally oriented cognitive task
analysis tradition, and it also borrows the pragmatist
concept of habit for the analysis of practice. These
approaches share a systemic notion of human activity and
conceive action from an ecological, human-environment
interaction perspective. Explaining actions from the
point of view of their meanings characterises these
approaches and the CTA-methodology. The CTA can be used
in analysis, evaluation and development of work practices
and culture, and it provides a framework for
interdisciplinary studies of high-technology work.
The method was developed in studies of work in four
technologically highly mediated work domains. These are
flexible manufacturing, nuclear power plant operations,
anaesthesia and navigation of large ships. Furthermore,
the book reports empirical results concerning the nature
of decision making and action under dynamic, complex and
uncertain environments, and comprehends habits that might
explain the observed differences in actual situational
courses of action. The interpretativeness or reactiveness
of habits of action is the central dimension that
characterises the situated appropriateness of actions,
while the core-task orientation defines contextual
coherence of actions. The book also provides evidence of
the deficiency of the notion of a linear development of
expertise as a function of experience. It is argued that,
rather, depending on peoples' orientation to work and on
their habits of action, at least two different
development perspectives emerge, which were labelled the
trajectory of reflective expertise and that of
confirmative expertise. In the final chapter the method
is discussed in the context of the pragmatist conceptions
of adaptive behaviour and learning. The book winds up by
introducing preliminary thoughts of the use of the
Core-task Analysis as a tool in managing high-reliability
organisations.
KW - risky environments
KW - complex work
KW - activity theory
KW - habit of action
KW - naturalistic decision-making
KW - process control
KW - high-reliability organisation
KW - anaesthesia
KW - flexible operations
KW - nuclear safety
KW - maritime safety
M3 - Report
SN - 951-38-6410-3
T3 - VTT Publications
BT - Acting under uncertainty
PB - VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
CY - Espoo
ER -