Citation

Farrington-Darby T, Wilson JR. Cogn. Technol. Work 2009; 11(1): 1-15.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10111-008-0118-z

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Rail network control is a function which depends upon the expertise of controllers for successful performance, and this expertise is situated in social skills and interactions as much as technical knowledge. A work analysis framework has been established which gets around some of the difficulties found in using cognitive work analysis, and allows structured investigation at the environment, domain, activity, scenario and expertise levels. Within this major research programme a video ethnography study was carried out to explore the work and work systems of the rail controllers in more detail, with specific reference to social interactions. Discussion centres around the strategies, communications, social relationships, learning and development and inter-team differences that were identified in the video ethnography.

Language: en