| Abstract The objective for this study was to explore the experiential context in which system complexity managed and contributed to work safety. NASA was organized in 1958 from multiple government research centers developing mission readiness for the first ever lunar landing and return of a manned, space launch vehicle. The initial 16,000 pound-thrust F-1 engine was inadequate for a 7,500,000-pound thrust propulsion required of the mission. The proposed propulsion goal represented a technological capability that far exceeded state-of-art functionality. Therefore, performance issues, unpredictable and hidden due to system complexity, required investigating, then problem solving. Decisions about systems design for high functional performance are sometimes made by organization stakeholders who lack collaboration with operations whose engineering shows both capability and challenge. In order to manage performance complexities, engineering requires human-centered designs of systems. Rasmussen (1986) modeled a system of complexity-leveled work domains aggregated hierarchically to a composite whole system, according to skill- and rule- operations of system function. System complexities for which S-R operations were unable to manage, lacked description of problem solving management designated for knowledge-based operations. A qualitative method and exploratory case study design were utilized to conduct the investigation of three research questions: (1) How does archival data describe the relationship between KBB-system users and stakeholders? (2) How does problem solving demands due to issues in system complexity affect system operations? (3) How does technology innovation affect the operational work domain of system users? With content analysis of over 100 interviews retrieved from NASA Oral History Project, the result findings showed that (a) the stakeholder-KBB user relationship became misaligned regarding post-Apollo direction; (b) problem solving dominated and directed operations toward aggressive engineering methods; and, (c) technological innovation resulted in KBB user rivalry for deciding on single mission solutions and in KBB user roles regarding their future for post-Apollo utilization. The reference to program governance of managing projects suggests future research to include innovation studies on the impact of outsourcing technology development to grow organizational core competencies. And, the non-reference of the interviews to safety, indicates extending the study to explore human factors. |
