Managing as designing: ‘opportunity knocks’ for the IS field?

In response to anxieties about our discipline's decline, this opinion piece ‘looks to the future’, arguing a strong prospectus for the IS field, based on its direct relevance to general management practice. The thesis set out is inspired by the recent upsurge in interest in ‘managing as designing’. Reformulating management as design, I argue that we have a formidable knowledge-base of tools, theories and critique relevant to any manager, not just the MIS-inclined specialist. A case study of yet another failed information system (in U.K. children's services) is presented to show just how uniquely relevant our discipline is, in the workplace of today. Other pertinent issues are explored, such as synergies with the growing vogue for evidence-based management. The paper concludes by considering implications for research, including the need for a less exclusive approach to publishing and dissemination emphasising the need to make our work more accessible to lay practitioners.     

Effects of display design on performance in a simulated ship navigation environment

Although automation is playing an increasing role on the ship's bridge, empirical research on the effectiveness of alternative bridge designs is limited. In this paper, we describe an experimental study of the benefits of integrated information display, using a computerized simulation of a highly automated ship's bridge. The study compared three types of interface design, which presented radar and electronic chart information to the operator in different ways: (a) integrated display, (b) functionally-separate display, and (c) spatially-separate display. Effects were examined in relation to time on watch and scenario complexity. Following extensive training on the task, 39 participants were tested over a 4-h experimental session, during which they encountered a sequence of collision scenarios of varying complexity. Using a dual-task methodology, a range of measures of primary and secondary task performance were taken, together with assessment of information sampling behaviour and subjective operator state (workload, fatigue, anxiety and situation awareness). The results indicated slight navigational advantages of the integrated display over the two alternative display types, although it also incurred higher levels of operator cost, particularly fatigue. There were no marked effects of time on watch, but more complex scenarios were associated with impaired performance, increased workload and reduced situation awareness. Overall, the findings have suggested some benefits of integrating primary information sources in a ship's bridge environment. The study further confirms the value of experimental simulations as tools for investigating design issues for ship's bridge automation.     

Cognitive demands of collision avoidance in simulated ship control

The study examines the cognitive demands of collision avoidance under a range of maritime scenarios. Operators used a PC-based radar simulator to navigate set courses over 100 6-min trials varying in collision threat and traffic density. Corrective maneuvers were made through the application of standard navigation rules and by using two decision aids (target acquisition and test maneuver). Results showed widespread effects of collision threat in terms of decision aid use, subjective workload, and secondary task performance. Most notably, demand increased markedly over the course of emergency trials, in which collision threat resulted from rule violation by target vessels. The findings are discussed in terms of the comparison between predictable demands (requiring standard course changes) and those involving uncertainty about the others' intentions (involving more intensive monitoring and forced delays in corrective action). The study has relevance for the design of collision avoidance systems, specifically for the use of ecological displays.     

Self psychology and the etiology of borderline personality disorder.

Describes borderline personality disorder (BPD) as arising from a restriction in the initial duality of merger and separateness in which the self is left dependent on the merged caregiver for cohesion. Such enfeeblement of self arises from a derailment of the formation of the nuclear self prior to age 3. BPD patients thus have no coherent self, and when threatened with fragmentation from some fissure in close relationships, react with panic and rage. Most characteristic of the defenses of BPD patients is splitting and the resultant idealization and devaluation within relationships. From a self psychology perspective, the BPD patient's self will grow by phase appropriate empathic responsiveness embedded in a matrix of idealizing, mirroring, and alter ego transferences. Treatment should focus on the transference that develops around the patient's striving for independence. A case illustration is presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Glove powder--a risk factor for the development of latex allergy?

Studies are described which compare the prevalence of sensitisation against latex proteins in medical personnel in different hospitals. The objective of these studies was to find out whether the use of powdered or unpowdered gloves could be related to the prevalence of latex allergy. Employees of one of the investigated hospitals (Germany) were using only powdered latex gloves, and in the other two hospitals (Great Britain) low protein powder-free latex gloves were used. Methods by which latex allergy can be avoided are suggested.     

Explicit control of adaptive automation under different levels of environmental stress

This article examines the effectiveness of three different forms of explicit control of adaptive automation under low- and high-stress conditions, operationalised by different levels of noise. In total, 60 participants were assigned to one of three types of automation design (free, prompted and forced choice). They were trained for 4?h on a highly automated simulation of a process control environment, called AutoCAMS. This was followed by a 4-h testing session under noise exposure and quiet conditions. Measures of performance, psychophysiology and subjective reactions were taken. The results showed that all three modes of explicit control of adaptive automation modes were able to attenuate the negative effects of noise. This was partly due to the fact that operators opted for higher levels of automation under noise. It also emerged that forced choice showed marginal advantages over the two other automation modes. Statement of Relevance: This work is relevant to the design of adaptive automation since it emphasises the need to consider the impact of work-related stressors during task completion. During the presence of stressors, different forms of operator support through automation may be required than under more favourable working conditions.     

Facts, myths and thought-styles… and a rallying cry for civic engagement

This polemic concludes with two programmatic recommendations for the Information Systems (IS) field. First, a call for more research in the public services, and for greater civic engagement generally; second, that we shake off our enchantment with Theory, not least in the interests of dissemination and communication, especially with non-academic audiences. Our critique of theory uses Barthes’ structuralism to argue that theories are myths which order, interpret and normalise the world. Leading into this, we address the fundamental question “what is a fact”, drawing on the epistemology of Ludwik Fleck (his concepts of thought-style and thought-collective in particular) which we believe deserves more recognition in IS. The empirical material for our analyses comes from two case studies, both from the domain of child protection in the UK. The paper is introduced with a brief exposition of the myth that information systems are fact-repositories. We stress that, though based on domestic examples, our messages are universal and strategic for the field. To set the scene, the paper opens with some lines from Aeschylus, describing a mythical event at the outset of Agamemnon’s ill-fated Trojan campaign.     

Designing for the home: a comparative study of support aids for central heating systems

The study examined the influence of different types of enhanced system support on user performance during the management of a central heating system. A computer-based simulation of a central heating system, called CHESS V2.0, was used to model different interface options, providing different support facilities to the user (e.g., historical, predictive, and instructional displays). Seventy-five participants took part in the study and completed a series of operational scenarios under different support conditions. The simulation environment allowed the collection of performance measures (e.g., energy consumption), information sampling, and system control behaviour. Subjective user evaluations of various aspects of the system were also measured. The results showed performance gains for predictive displays whereas no such benefits were observed for the other display types. The data also revealed that status and predictive displays were valued most highly by users. The implications of the findings for designers of central heating systems are discussed.     

Feedback quality and environmentally friendly use of domestic central heating systems

The study examined the influence of system-embedded feedback on user behaviour during the environmentally friendly operation of a central heating system. A PC-based simulation, called CHESS, was developed to model the critical features of a central heating system. After having received 30 min of training on the simulation task, 60 participants worked on a series of operational scenarios under different levels of system feedback. In addition to the collection of various performance measures (e.g. energy consumption, energy wastage), a range of user variables was collected (e.g. environmental concern). As hypothesized, the results showed that increased feedback resulted in improved environmentally friendly performance and, more importantly, the specific feedback indicator influenced the type of strategy used to improve human - machine system performance. A major implication is that system designers need to develop feedback indicators that are chiefly influenced by user behaviour and are largely immune to factors that are beyond the user's control (e.g. weather conditions).     

A comparison of adaptive and adaptable automation under different levels of environmental stress

The effectiveness of different forms of adaptive and adaptable automation was examined under low- and high-stress conditions, in the form of different levels of noise. Thirty-six participants were assigned to one of the three types of variable automation (adaptive event-based, adaptive performance-based and adaptable serving as a control condition). Participants received 3 h of training on a simulation of a highly automated process control task and were subsequently tested during a 4-h session under noise exposure and quiet conditions. The results for performance suggested no clear benefits of one automation control mode over the other two. However, it emerged that participants under adaptable automation adopted a more active system management strategy and reported higher levels of self-confidence than in the two adaptive control modes. Furthermore, the results showed higher levels of perceived workload, fatigue and anxiety for performance-based adaptive automation control than the other two modes. PRACTITIONER SUMMARY: This study compared two forms of adaptive automation (where the automated system flexibly allocates tasks between human and machine) with adaptable automation (where the human allocates the tasks). The adaptable mode showed marginal advantages. This is of relevance, given that this automation mode may also be easier to design.