It is required that Performance Shaping Factors (PSFs) of a trouble event are found using analytic methods such as 5-whys analysis in order to planning the measures preventing the trouble. Further, to grasp the structure of PSFs including background PSFs is needed for taking substantial measures. Our previous study pointed that Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) is the relatively easy and logical way of representing the structure of PSFs for site workers. Therefore, we tried to bring in ISM into Root Cause Analysis (RCA). In this regard, a company has been using a RCA method. Although the RCA method enable the description of various trouble factors, the difficulties of grasping the perspective of the trouble has been pointed out. Thus, this study aimed at applying ISM to the RCA method and the site workers in the company having different RCA-work experience tried to the RCA-work using ISM. From the results, we found that using the RCA method applied ISM was possible for site workers and it was advisable to provide manuals including proper advice about deciding PSFs from the trouble factors described in the forms for the RCA method.

View full abstract

This is a case study of an electric power company. The purpose of this study is to clarify contributing factors to knowledge transfer, namely, how knowledge recipients use transferred knowledge. In this case, knowledge concerning meeting management was transferred from a training lecturer in A department to 18 knowledge brokers in B department. Thereafter, the knowledge was transferred from the 18 knowledge brokers to all 60 knowledge recipients in the B department. Firstly, three dominant factors (agreement of knowledge brokers, recommendation by group managers, difficulty in utilization by knowledge recipients) were derived from literature reviews and a preparative interview to a former training lecturer. To clarify the most influencing factor among those three, a new questionnaire with an interval scale was designed. All 60 knowledge recipients were expected to answer and the response rate was 90 percent. As the results of multiple regression analysis, “agreement of knowledge brokers” got the highest standard partial regression coefficient. Considering that meeting management is not particular but general knowledge, this result implies that improvement of agreement of knowledge brokers is quite effective for transferring general knowledge in a large-scale organization.

View full abstract

[in Japanese]

View full abstract

[in Japanese]

View full abstract

[in Japanese]

View full abstract

In this article, we advocate a method called “Multi-Facet Provision Guidance”, which assists someone in preparation adequate provisions against organizational factors of human error. Applying the concept of “analysis composition type classification”, we assort notions or activities which are significant as provisions for improper organizational factors of human errors into 4 facets, and we make sequential selection of the facets used on the classification to play a function as a guide system toward any target provision. Efficiency of the method is examined through a case described the previous paper, and we obtain sufficient results from the examination.

View full abstract