Organisational resilience within a complexity science framework : A case study of Ballarat City Council
- Authors: Stockton, Imogen
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Understanding the resilience of organisations, their vulnerabilities and capacity to adapt to an unknown future is critical because modern society is dependent upon the continuation of these systems or alternative systems which support humans, their communities and the environment. The challenge for organisations assessing their resilience is to find a way to undertake this assessment that best meets the needs of the organisation and the context in which it operates. Thus this study aims to develop an understanding of resilience, in particular, organisational resilience and develop a means of identifying resilience in an organisation. A conceptual model of organisational resilience was developed together with an operational Framework of Analysis which was then applied to the Ballarat City Council as a single case study. The conceptual model proposes that resilience is a state of being, that is a proximity to the edge of chaos, where the connections between agents within a system are most flexible. The absence of rigid, inflexible connections enables agents within a complex adaptive system to innovate, co-evolve and adapt to changing circumstances. This is achieved by having an awareness of the fitness landscape, having the flexibility to manage vulnerabilities and being able to adapt. Coevolution, adaptation and creativity occur most readily from close proximity to the edge of chaos. Using a Critical Realist approach, the Ballarat City Council case study evaluates the Framework of Analysis. Data collection occurred over a six month period with primary sources of data being an organisational document analysis, interviews and an infrastructure assessment. The results indicate that situational awareness, the identification and management of keystone vulnerabilities and an increase in adaptive capacity act as mechanisms of adaptation and are integral to an organisation achieving a position of resilience. This research presents a new perspective to the concept of resilience, in which resilience is a position relative to the edge of chaos, rather than a process or set of characteristics.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Stockton, Imogen
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Understanding the resilience of organisations, their vulnerabilities and capacity to adapt to an unknown future is critical because modern society is dependent upon the continuation of these systems or alternative systems which support humans, their communities and the environment. The challenge for organisations assessing their resilience is to find a way to undertake this assessment that best meets the needs of the organisation and the context in which it operates. Thus this study aims to develop an understanding of resilience, in particular, organisational resilience and develop a means of identifying resilience in an organisation. A conceptual model of organisational resilience was developed together with an operational Framework of Analysis which was then applied to the Ballarat City Council as a single case study. The conceptual model proposes that resilience is a state of being, that is a proximity to the edge of chaos, where the connections between agents within a system are most flexible. The absence of rigid, inflexible connections enables agents within a complex adaptive system to innovate, co-evolve and adapt to changing circumstances. This is achieved by having an awareness of the fitness landscape, having the flexibility to manage vulnerabilities and being able to adapt. Coevolution, adaptation and creativity occur most readily from close proximity to the edge of chaos. Using a Critical Realist approach, the Ballarat City Council case study evaluates the Framework of Analysis. Data collection occurred over a six month period with primary sources of data being an organisational document analysis, interviews and an infrastructure assessment. The results indicate that situational awareness, the identification and management of keystone vulnerabilities and an increase in adaptive capacity act as mechanisms of adaptation and are integral to an organisation achieving a position of resilience. This research presents a new perspective to the concept of resilience, in which resilience is a position relative to the edge of chaos, rather than a process or set of characteristics.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Permit-to-work systems as a health and safety risk control strategy in mining : A prospective study in resilience engineering
- Pillay, Manikam, Tuck, Michael
- Authors: Pillay, Manikam , Tuck, Michael
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Conference proceedings , Conference paper
- Relation: AHFE 2017 International Conference on Human Error, Reliability, Resilience, and Performance, 2017 : Advances in Human Error, Reliability, Resilience, and Performance; Los Angeles, USA; 17th-21st July 2017; published in Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing Vol. 589, p. 145-154
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Mining is an important contributor to the social and economic fabric of our society. However, it is also considered to be one of the most dangerous industries. Compared to manufacturing, mining is generally regarded as a more complex industry to work in, creating additional challenges for policy makers, researchers and practitioners. This paper first discusses the state of mining health and safety in Australia, followed by an examination of some of the complexities that characterizes the industry. Next one contemporary approach, permit-to-work systems (PTW), is introduced, followed by a review of the literature relating to its use as a health and safety risk control strategy. This is followed by a discussion of Resilience engineering (RE) as an innovation in health and safety management, and a case made for investigating RE as a safety management strategy using PTW systems. The paper concludes by suggesting a pragmatism research framework and two organizational theories upon which such research can be advanced. © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of United Kingdom 2018.
- Authors: Pillay, Manikam , Tuck, Michael
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Conference proceedings , Conference paper
- Relation: AHFE 2017 International Conference on Human Error, Reliability, Resilience, and Performance, 2017 : Advances in Human Error, Reliability, Resilience, and Performance; Los Angeles, USA; 17th-21st July 2017; published in Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing Vol. 589, p. 145-154
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Mining is an important contributor to the social and economic fabric of our society. However, it is also considered to be one of the most dangerous industries. Compared to manufacturing, mining is generally regarded as a more complex industry to work in, creating additional challenges for policy makers, researchers and practitioners. This paper first discusses the state of mining health and safety in Australia, followed by an examination of some of the complexities that characterizes the industry. Next one contemporary approach, permit-to-work systems (PTW), is introduced, followed by a review of the literature relating to its use as a health and safety risk control strategy. This is followed by a discussion of Resilience engineering (RE) as an innovation in health and safety management, and a case made for investigating RE as a safety management strategy using PTW systems. The paper concludes by suggesting a pragmatism research framework and two organizational theories upon which such research can be advanced. © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of United Kingdom 2018.
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