Naturalistic Decision Making and Organizational Learning in Nuclear Power Plants: Negotiating Meaning Between Managers and Problem Investigation Teams

Abstract

We explore the linkages between naturalistic decision making, which examines decisions in context, and team and organizational learning, which examines how feedback from decisions affects context. We study 27 problem investigation teams in three nuclear power plants, a setting that combines complex team decisions with organizational learning. Further, managers who commission the teams and receive team reports are a key aspect of context for the teams and a critical conduit for organizational learning and change. Questionnaires were given to both team members and manager recipients of written team reports, and team reports were coded for qualities of their analyses and recommendations. We find that team members value reports in which the team discovered causes or lessons that could be used in other contexts, whereas managers appreciate reports with logical corrective actions from teams with investigation experience. Teams with managers or supervisors as team members are better able to reach shared understanding with their manager customers. Teams with more diverse departmental backgrounds produce deeper and more creative analyses. Teams need access to information and analytical skills in order to learn effectively, but they also need management support and boundary-spanning skills in order to diffuse their learning.