Effects of task uncertainty and continuous performance on knowledge execution in complex decision-making

Abstract

Abstract The emergence of complex automated systems in the workplace is changing both the nature of the work that people are asked to perform and their work environment. Many of these changes are, in part, toward (a) more cognitively-oriented tasks, such as those associated with complex decision making under uncertainty; and (b) work systems that call for extended and sustained work schedules to support round-the-clock industrial operations. The present study investigated the effects of task uncertainty and continuous performance on the ability of subjects to make multi-dimensional judgements concerning manufacturing production. Statistically significant decrements in accuracy of manufacturing production judgements were evident over the course of a 4th computerized work experiment, Further, the precision in judgements of production was inversely related to the level of task uncertainty. In contrast, performance accuracy on two analytical tasks remained high during the experiment. The findings are discusse...