Title: Impact of organisation and management on complex technological systems safety: the nuclear lessons

Authors: Celina Vaquero, M Isabel Garces, Jesus Rodriguez-Pomeda

Addresses: Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Fission Department, Safety of Complex Systems for Energy Generation Project, Avda. Complutense, 22, 28040 Madrid, Spain. Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Fission Department, Safety of Complex Systems for Energy Generation Project, Avda. Complutense, 22, 28040 Madrid, Spain. Departamento de Contabilidad y Organizacion de Empresas, and Instituto Universitario de Administración de Empresas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Ctra. De Colmenar, km. 15, 28049-Madrid, Spain

Abstract: In complex technological systems, safety is of paramount importance. In recent years, human and management factors have been recognised as frequent root causes of major failures in such modern technologies. We try to summarise a state-of-the-art regarding the analysis of the impact of organisational and managerial aspects on the safety of nuclear power plants including the contributions of the organisational theories and the future research tendencies on this issue. The challenge is to design multidisciplinary and systemic research which tries to integrate technical and social sciences. The potential results could be appropriate to many different domains and transferred to other high reliability organisations. The goal is to understand and limit the occurrence of major failures in such hazardous technologies. Ideas from organisational theory could be especially useful, in order to apply new insights as organisational learning to these organisations.

Keywords: complex technological systems; nuclear power plants safety; organisational factors; organisational theory; organisational learning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2000.002862

International Journal of Technology Management, 2000 Vol.20 No.1/2, pp.214-241

Published online: 07 Jul 2003 *

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