This book brings together for the first time two important features of a computer system to be embedded in an organisational context: responsibility, meaning whether the computer system properly supports the organisational responsibilities that people are allocated; and dependability, which means whether it does so in a way that people can justifiably trust it to perform its operation correctly. Organisational responsibility is examined from philosophical, social and practical viewpoints, which then leads to a workflow design which supports those responsibilities. The approach pays particular attention to looking at what happens when things go wrong and the adjustments and workarounds that people make to fulfil their responsibilities when their primary operational tasks are unachievable or frustrated, and how these alternative strategies can be incorporated into the workflow design. The application of the method to multi-organisational contexts is dealt with in some detail. 1846286255......Page 1 Contents......Page 5 Preface......Page 7 Acknowledgements......Page 13 List of Contributors......Page 14 1. Introduction: Dependability and Responsibility in Context......Page 15 I. Philosophical and Social Aspects......Page 32 2. Responsibility: A Philosophical Perspective......Page 33 3. Responsibility in Practice......Page 55 4. Complex Organisational Responsibilities: The Ladbroke Grove Rail Inquiry......Page 78 II. Modelling......Page 100 5. Responsibility Modelling: Basic Concepts......Page 101 6. Models for Understanding Responsibilities......Page 125 7. Understanding Failure: The London Ambulance Service Disaster......Page 140 III. New Methods......Page 172 8. Models for Responsibility Assignment......Page 173 9. Causal Responsibility Models......Page 195 10. Modelling in Practice......Page 216 N......Page 243 W......Page 244 Springer 1846286255 1 Contents 5 Preface 7 Acknowledgements 13 List of Contributors 14 1. Introduction: Dependability and Responsibility in Context 15 I. Philosophical and Social Aspects 32 2. Responsibility: A Philosophical Perspective 33 3. Responsibility in Practice 55 4. Complex Organisational Responsibilities: The Ladbroke Grove Rail Inquiry 78 II. Modelling 100 5. Responsibility Modelling: Basic Concepts 101 6. Models for Understanding Responsibilities 125 7. Understanding Failure: The London Ambulance Service Disaster 140 III. New Methods 172 8. Models for Responsibility Assignment 173 9. Causal Responsibility Models 195 10. Modelling in Practice 216 Index 243 A 243 B 243 C 243 D 243 E 243 F 243 G 243 H 243 L 243 M 243 N 243 O 244 R 244 S 244 V 244 W 244 ISBN-13:,9781846286254 "Responsibility and Dependable Systems is the first book to examine the relationship between responsibility and system dependability. Systems engineers, computer scientists, social scientists, ergonomists, and management researchers will all benefit from reading the book, and professionals and practitioners making organisational decisions concerning dependable human-computer systems will also find it of value."--Jacket
