Phase Of Cognitive Work Analysis Research Articles

Work environment development using cognitive work analysis’ decision ladders.

The study aimed to create decision-making content for workplace work environment development, followed by a limited evaluation to determine the perception of the importance of the identified content in different sectors. Enforcement/administrative orders in workplace inspection reports were used as empirical infor-mation on workplaces. This information was used to design decision ladders, which form the second phase of cognitive work analysis, the activity analysis. The decision ladders, which support decision-making, cov-ered work functions identified in an earlier work domain analysis study, i.e., exposure prevention, organisa-tional management, competence realisation, workers’ empowerment, psychosocial work environment man-agement, and administration. Specified content of decision ladders for each function was used to prepare a questionnaire for evaluating the content validity for work environment development.
 Altogether, 29 items were identified as the content for work environment development. Statistical analysis of the limited evaluation showed no significant difference between the different sectors in their perceptions of the importance of the content in developing work environments. Similar sectoral perceptions' trends support the content utility and validity in work environment development.
 The procedure formulation step of the decision ladders, with the phrase “What steps are needed to...” applied preceding the identified content constructs, provides practical activities regarded as essential for work environment development.
 Using enforcement inspection reports as the basis for work environment development is a novel approach to addressing workplace safety and health management challenges. Further, the universal utility of the content allows for its implementation across sectors, allowing for workplace-specific decision-making on management measures.

Abstraction networks: adapting abstraction hierarchies to map important relationships for system design

Abstraction hierarchies (AHs) are essential to a work domain analysis (WDA), the “most important and unique” phase of cognitive work analysis (CWA) (Vicente, 1999). Although AHs have been the industry standard for assessing and describing work systems for several decades, they are not without limitations (Vicente, 2002). We have developed an evolution of AHs called Abstraction Networks (ANs) to address several of the limitations Vicente identified. ANs are designed to (1) improve engagement with practitioners, thereby facilitating greater shared understanding of the system, (2) better integrate with existing systems analysis tools, and (3) provide a more direct bridge between systems analysis and display design. We document a case study that uses ANs to better understand a sterile processing department (SPD) at a Southeastern tertiary care hospital, detailing the extent to which AN’s achieve these three goals.

Sharing lessons learnt: Reflections on a novel approach to developing the contextual activity template

AbstractIntroductionThere have been few published applications of the second phase of Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA), Control Task Analysis, particularly the Contextual Activity Template (CAT). The current study aimed to share lessons learnt from utilizing an online survey as a novel approach to development of a CAT. The application domain was sport, specifically football goalkeeping. A secondary aim was to apply the CAT to the goalkeeping role and gain the perceptions of both goalkeeping coaches and players on the functions and situations specific to a goalkeeper during match‐play.MethodsTen SMEs with high‐level expertize in goalkeeping coaching and/or playing participated in an online survey including a series of demographic, Likert scale and open‐ended questions regarding goalkeeper specific functions and match‐play situations. Eight goalkeeper match‐play situations and 18 specific functions were included.ResultsA CAT model was created demonstrating the match‐play situations where specific goalkeeper functions occur. Three function groupings were identified: broad (six or more functions), moderate (between three and five functions), and specific (below three functions).DiscussionUtilizing online surveys to develop a CAT model is a novel approach within the Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) literature. Further, the CAT represents a first of its kind analysis in the football performance literature. Strengths and limitations of using online surveys for the development of a CAT are discussed. In conclusion, the work suggests flexible approaches can be used to develop HFE models.

Using cognitive work analysis to identify competencies for human factors and ergonomics practitioners

While several competency frameworks have been proposed for Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) practitioners, these are not commonly based on structured analyses. The aim of this research was to develop a sociotechnical systems model of the HFE practitioner role in Australia and identify the competencies required to fulfil the role. Study One applied the Work Domain Analysis phase of cognitive work analysis (CWA) to model the HFE practitioner role. Model refinement was undertaken with seven subject matter experts. In Study Two, the model was used to elicit the competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, other characteristics) required for successful performance, via a survey of 28 HFE practitioners. Most competencies related to skills (i.e. communication skills) and knowledge (i.e. domain knowledge). Gaps in competencies were also identified, linked to a lack of HFE education pathways in Australia. The findings have practical utility for designing HFE practitioner roles and educational programs. Practitioner summary: Cognitive work analysis provided a structured analysis of the role of the Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) practitioner and to support the identification of competencies. The results suggest that HFE practitioners are generalists rather than specialists and have implications for the job design and education of HFE practitioners. Abbreviations: BCPE: board of certification in professional ergonomics; CIEHF: chartered institute of ergonomics and human factors; CWA: cognitive work analysis; HFE: human factors and ergonomics; HFESA: human factors and ergonomics society of Australia; IEA: International Ergonomics Association; KSAO: knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics; O*NET: occupation information network; SME: subject matter expert; SRK: skills, rules, knowledge; UK: United Kingdom; USA: United States of America; WDA: work domain analysis

Sports Organizations as Complex Systems: Using Cognitive Work Analysis to Identify the Factors Influencing Performance in an Elite Netball Organization.

There is increasing interest in the adoption of a complex systems thinking approach when attempting to understand and optimize sports performance. Despite this, few studies have attempted to model elite sports organizations. The aim of this study was to use methods from the Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) framework to develop a model of an elite netball organization and identify wider organizational functions and constraints influencing performance. Two phases of CWA were used: (i) Work Domain Analysis (WDA); and, (ii) Social Organization and Co-operation Analysis (SOCA). A WDA model of the elite netball organization was developed via subject matter expert (SME) workshops, and a SOCA was undertaken to identify the different functions, roles, and responsibilities of key actors within the organization. The findings identify various factors that influence performance. Functions that appear to provide a competitive edge are discussed, including a strong club ethos, a shared responsibility for performance, and a focus on player and staff health and well-being. Factors that potentially have a negative impact on performance include organizational priorities not related to playing netball, and additional coach and athlete roles beyond coaching, training, and playing. The implications for understanding and optimizing elite sports organizations are discussed.

Accounting for memes in sociotechnical systems: extending the abstraction hierarchy to consider cognitive objects

Work domain analysis (WDA) is used to model the functional structure of sociotechnical systems (STS) through the abstraction hierarchy (AH). By identifying objects, processes, functions and measures that support system purposes, WDA reveals constraints within the system. Traditionally, the AH describes system elements at the lowest level of abstraction as physical objects. Multiple analyses of complex systems reveal that many include objects that exist only at a conceptual level. This paper argues that, by extending the AH to include cognitive objects, the analytical power of WDA is extended, and novel areas of application are enabled. Three case studies are used to demonstrate the role that cognitive objects play within STS. It is concluded that cognitive objects are a valid construct that offer a significant enhancement of WDA and enable its application to some of the world’s most pressing problems. Implications for future applications of WDA and the AH are discussed. Practitioner summary: Some sociotechnical systems include memes as part of their functional structure. Three case studies were used to evaluate the utility of introducing cognitive objects alongside physical ones in work domain analysis, the first phase of cognitive work analysis. Including cognitive objects increases the scope and accuracy of work domain analysis.

A sociotechnical systems approach to understand complex urban systems: A global transdisciplinary perspective

AbstractCurrent approaches for the urban planning and design of our cities and towns are challenged by the inherent complexity of urban systems. Sociotechnical systems thinking is explored here to better understand this complexity and therein assist the service industries involved in urban planning and design practice. Subject matter expert knowledge and insights have been used to inform the development of a work domain analysis model, the first phase of cognitive work analysis. Work domain analysis allows for the constraints, boundaries, and interdependencies within a sociotechnical system to be identified and explored. This analysis describes and models an archetype complex urban system, providing new ways to understand urban complexity and inform urban planning and design practice. Further, the different discipline viewpoints (object worlds) of urban systems are identified within the work domain analysis. The results demonstrate the wide‐ranging and transdisciplinary perspectives on complex urban systems, while also suggesting that cognitive work analysis is a suitable method to better understand their complexity.

Extending Cognitive Work Analysis for embodiment: ecological psychology, activity theory and Worker Competency Analysis

ABSTRACTWith the growth of novel embedded technologies, human interaction with ‘smart’ environments will require a comprehensive conceptualisation of the body and embodied cognition. Thus, producing a requirement for work analysis approaches to address the embodied aspects of work systems. Correspondingly, this article presents two interrelated items. First, it extends Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) on the basis of embodiment, ecological psychology and activity theory. The embodied approach to cognition emphasises that human knowing (cognition) is shaped by the body and behaviour: the body, mind and activity are intricately entwined. In extending CWA for the embodiment, this article presents the second contribution in terms of the ‘embodiment hierarchy’ in the fifth phase of CWA – Worker Competency Analysis, for addressing the constraints related to embodiment. An example in the nanotechnology domain is provided to demonstrate the above-mentioned concepts.

Walking the line: Understanding pedestrian behaviour and risk at rail level crossings with cognitive work analysis

Pedestrian fatalities at rail level crossings (RLXs) are a public safety concern for governments worldwide. There is little literature examining pedestrian behaviour at RLXs and no previous studies have adopted a formative approach to understanding behaviour in this context. In this article, cognitive work analysis is applied to understand the constraints that shape pedestrian behaviour at RLXs in Melbourne, Australia. The five phases of cognitive work analysis were developed using data gathered via document analysis, behavioural observation, walk-throughs and critical decision method interviews. The analysis demonstrates the complex nature of pedestrian decision making at RLXs and the findings are synthesised to provide a model illustrating the influences on pedestrian decision making in this context (i.e. time, effort and social pressures). Further, the CWA outputs are used to inform an analysis of the risks to safety associated with pedestrian behaviour at RLXs and the identification of potential interventions to reduce risk.

A structured approach to the strategies analysis phase of cognitive work analysis

Cognitive work analysis is a widely applied method within Ergonomics. To date applications have primarily focused on the first two stages of the method – Work Domain Analysis and Control Task Analysis. Compared to the initial stages, the latter stages have been relatively neglected and are consequently not as well developed methodologically. This paper proposes a new approach for the third phase, strategies analysis, which builds upon the output of the earlier phases and provides a formative structured method for identifying potential strategies to complete control tasks. An Apple iPod is used to exemplify and evaluate the proposed approach. Future directions include validation of the approach with more complex systems.

How a submarine returns to periscope depth: Analysing complex socio-technical systems using Cognitive Work Analysis

This paper presents the application of Cognitive Work Analysis to the description of the functions, situations, activities, decisions, strategies, and competencies of a Trafalgar class submarine when performing the function of returning to periscope depth. All five phases of Cognitive Work Analysis are presented, namely: Work Domain Analysis, Control Task Analysis, Strategies Analysis, Social Organisation and Cooperation Analysis, and Worker Competencies Analysis. Complex socio-technical systems are difficult to analyse but Cognitive Work Analysis offers an integrated way of analysing complex systems with the core of functional means-ends analysis underlying all of the other representations. The joined-up analysis offers a coherent framework for understanding how socio-technical systems work. Data were collected through observation and interviews at different sites across the UK. The resultant representations present a statement of how the work domain and current activities are configured in this complex socio-technical system. This is intended to provide a baseline, from which all future conceptions of the domain may be compared. The strength of the analysis is in the multiple representations from which the constraints acting on the work may be analysed. Future research needs to challenge the assumptions behind these constraints in order to develop new ways of working.

A formative approach to the strategies analysis phase of cognitive work analysis

Strategies Analysis, the third phase of Cognitive Work Analysis, helps investigators consider the range of ways in which workers can perform control tasks. Most existing approaches to Strategies Analysis identify a limited number of domain-specific strategies. We present a two-phase formative Strategies Analysis method intended to expose the range of strategies possible within a work system and the likelihood that different types of strategies will be selected in different contexts. The first phase, the preparatory phase, identifies generalised constraints that affect the range and selection of strategies, and the categories of strategies that may be applied to any domain. In the second phase, the application phase, investigators use the outputs of the preparatory phase to explore the impact that different work situations, tasks and workers have on the categories of strategies most likely to be adopted.

Control Task Analysis in Action: Collaboration in the Operating Room

Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) is gaining momentum for analyzing complex socio-technical systems but it does not yet have the specific tools and techniques that allow it to address teamwork explicitly enough to provide good guidance on how to support teams. This paper focuses on expansion of control task analysis (ConTA), the second phase of CWA, to understand the collaborative decision making of a surgical team during Cesarean section surgery.

How can they do it? A structured approach to the strategies analysis phase of Cognitive Work Analysis

Cognitive work analysis is a widely applied method within Human Factors. To date, applications have mainly focused on the first two stages of the method - Work Domain Analysis and Control Task Analysis. The latter stages have been neglected and are consequently not as well developed methodologically. This paper proposes an approach for strategies analysis, the third phase, which builds upon the output of the earlier phases and provides a structured, repeatable method for identifying potential strategies for completing control tasks. An Apple iPod is used to exemplify and evaluate the proposed approach. Future directions include validation of the approach with more complex systems. Language: en

Demonstrating CWA Strategies Analysis: A Case Study of Municipal Winter Maintenance

Widespread acceptance of Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) as a framework for design of complex sociotechnical systems is dependent on how well the theoretical foundations can be applied to real-world systems. Although literature on CWA has many application examples, the first phase, Work Domain Analysis, is over-represented. Later phases such as Strategies Analysis, the third phase of CWA, can provide comparable insight to designers. Understanding how activities can be performed can be instrumental in designing work support tools that are robust to changing priorities and conditions. In this paper, a Strategies Analysis is applied to the City of Toronto Municipal Winter Maintenance Program to illustrate how an analysis can be conducted. Both a traditional Strategies Analysis in decision-making terms and a novel Strategies Analysis in work domain terms are presented.

A Five-Phase CWA for Air Traffic Control: Example from a TRACON Microworld

This paper presents an example of a full Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) on a TRACON Air Traffic Control Microworld (TRACON, 1991). TRACON for Windows is a microworld simulation of an air traffic control environment. The TRACON domain consists of an airspace surrounding a major airport and its regional satellite airports. Our purpose in applying all five phases of CWA to a single system was pedagogical in nature. The authors came together as an analytical team within the context of a CWA graduate course. All five phases of analysis are outlined in this paper, although each analysis represents only a subset of a complete CWA undertaking. Despite the limited breadth, we were able to generate a substantial amount of data and increase our appreciation of the relationships between the domain knowledge elucidated through each phase. This example illustrates the potential design value of performing a CWA for real-world domains across all CWA phases.

An Examination of the Key Concepts of the Five Phases of Cognitive Work Analysis with Examples from a Familiar System

Cognitive work analysis (CWA) is recognized, principally, for work domain analysis. Relatively little research has been directed at the remaining four phases of CWA and, as a result, the concepts of these phases of analysis are less well understood. This paper examines the concepts of all five phases of CWA with examples from a single ‘system’ – a home. A home is a highly familiar system that is characterized primarily by social or intentional constraints. The examples in this paper, therefore, complement the case study provided by Vicente (1999) of DURESS, a thermo-hydraulic microworld simulation that is defined largely by physical or causal constraints. In addition, this paper provides a starting point for examining several issues relating to the later phases of CWA, including whether or not they are useful or unique, their relationship to other approaches for work analysis, and methodological shortcomings.

Analysing activity in complex systems with cognitive work analysis: concepts, guidelines and case study for control task analysis

Cognitive work analysis is gaining momentum as an approach for the analysis, design and evaluation of complex sociotechnical systems. This paper focuses on control task analysis (ConTA), the second phase of cognitive work analysis. The paper consolidates existing approaches to ConTA and extends the basic concepts, in particular, by asserting that activity in some work systems is better characterized by both work situations and work functions and by introducing a new formative representation for ConTA called the contextual activity template. In addition, the paper proposes a set of methodological guidelines for performing ConTA and presents a case study of a ConTA for a first-of-a-kind military system called Airborne Early Warning and Control. As well as illustrating the conceptual extensions and methodological guidelines for ConTA by example, this case study highlights some of the difficulties of conducting ConTA for first-of-a-kind, complex systems during the early stages of development.

Theoretical Concepts for Work Domain Analysis, the First Phase of Cognitive Work Analysis

Cognitive work analysis (CWA) is gaining recognition as a promising approach for the analysis, design, and evaluation of complex, sociotechnical systems. However, the successful and widespread application of work domain analysis (WDA), the first phase of CWA, is limited by the lack of a coherent theoretical approach. This paper addresses a number of theoretical issues relating to WDA, including differences in the approaches of Rasmussen, Pejtersen & Goodstein (1994) and Vicente (1999), and it illustrates these theoretical issues with a work domain of a home — a 'system' that will be highly familiar to everyone. This research will help to: make WDA more accessible to researchers and practitioners who were not involved in the development of WDA or who cannot be apprenticed to experts in WDA; reduce the amount of time and effort it takes to perform WDA even for experts in the area; and facilitate the application of WDA to large-scale, industry projects.

A Methodology for Work Domain Analysis, the First Phase of Cognitive Work Analysis

Cognitive work analysis (CWA) is gaining recognition as a promising approach for the analysis, design, and evaluation of complex, sociotechnical systems. The successful and widespread application of CWA, however, is limited by the lack of a well-defined methodology. This paper proposes a methodology for performing work domain analysis (WDA), the first phase of CWA, and it illustrates this methodology with a work domain of a home — a 'system' that will be highly familiar to everyone. This research will help to: make WDA more accessible to researchers and practitioners who were not involved in the development of WDA or who cannot be apprenticed to experts in WDA; reduce the amount of time and effort it takes to perform WDA even for experts in the area; and facilitate the application of WDA to large-scale, industry projects.