How institutions enhance mindfulness: Interactions between external regulators and front-line operators around safety rules

How is it that some organizations can maintain nearly error-free performance, despite trying conditions? Within research on such high-reliability organizations, mindful organizing has been offered as a key explanation. It entails interaction patterns among front-line operators that keep them attenti...

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Main Authors: KUDESIA, Ravi S., LANG, Ting, REB, Jochen
Format: text
Language:English
Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2020
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Online Access:https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6428
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/7427/viewcontent/20190902_2_How_Institutions_Enhance_Mindfulness.pdf
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spelling sg-smu-ink.lkcsb_research-74272020-04-03T02:35:36Z How institutions enhance mindfulness: Interactions between external regulators and front-line operators around safety rules KUDESIA, Ravi S. LANG, Ting REB, Jochen How is it that some organizations can maintain nearly error-free performance, despite trying conditions? Within research on such high-reliability organizations, mindful organizing has been offered as a key explanation. It entails interaction patterns among front-line operators that keep them attentive to potential failures—and relies on them having the expertise and autonomy to address any such failures. In this study, we extend the mindful organizing literature, which emphasizes local interactions among operators, by considering the broader institutional context in which it occurs. Through interview, observational, and archival data of a high-reliability explosive demolitions firm in China, we find that external regulators can crucially enhance the mindful organizing of front-line operators as regulators and operators interact around safety rules. Regulators go beyond the interactions emphasized in institutional theory, whereby regulators help operators internalize the content of rules and follow the rules in practice. Rather, regulator interactions also help ensure the salience of rules, which enriches and distributes operator attention throughout the firm. We also find evidence of regulator learning, as interactions with operators help regulators improve rule content and the techniques by which rules remain salient. These findings expand our understanding of mindful organizing and the interactional dynamics of institutions. They also particularly speak to the debate over whether and how rules can enhance safety. Namely, through distinct practices that impact the content and salience of rules, regulators can increase standardization without diminishing operator autonomy. 2020-02-01T08:00:00Z text application/pdf https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6428 info:doi/10.1016/j.ssci.2019.104511 https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/7427/viewcontent/20190902_2_How_Institutions_Enhance_Mindfulness.pdf http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business eng Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University Mindfulness industrial safety Industrial and Organizational Psychology Organizational Behavior and Theory
institution Singapore Management University
building SMU Libraries
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider SMU Libraries
collection InK@SMU
language English
topic Mindfulness
industrial safety
Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Organizational Behavior and Theory
spellingShingle Mindfulness
industrial safety
Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Organizational Behavior and Theory
KUDESIA, Ravi S.
LANG, Ting
REB, Jochen
How institutions enhance mindfulness: Interactions between external regulators and front-line operators around safety rules
description How is it that some organizations can maintain nearly error-free performance, despite trying conditions? Within research on such high-reliability organizations, mindful organizing has been offered as a key explanation. It entails interaction patterns among front-line operators that keep them attentive to potential failures—and relies on them having the expertise and autonomy to address any such failures. In this study, we extend the mindful organizing literature, which emphasizes local interactions among operators, by considering the broader institutional context in which it occurs. Through interview, observational, and archival data of a high-reliability explosive demolitions firm in China, we find that external regulators can crucially enhance the mindful organizing of front-line operators as regulators and operators interact around safety rules. Regulators go beyond the interactions emphasized in institutional theory, whereby regulators help operators internalize the content of rules and follow the rules in practice. Rather, regulator interactions also help ensure the salience of rules, which enriches and distributes operator attention throughout the firm. We also find evidence of regulator learning, as interactions with operators help regulators improve rule content and the techniques by which rules remain salient. These findings expand our understanding of mindful organizing and the interactional dynamics of institutions. They also particularly speak to the debate over whether and how rules can enhance safety. Namely, through distinct practices that impact the content and salience of rules, regulators can increase standardization without diminishing operator autonomy.
format text
author KUDESIA, Ravi S.
LANG, Ting
REB, Jochen
author_facet KUDESIA, Ravi S.
LANG, Ting
REB, Jochen
author_sort KUDESIA, Ravi S.
title How institutions enhance mindfulness: Interactions between external regulators and front-line operators around safety rules
title_short How institutions enhance mindfulness: Interactions between external regulators and front-line operators around safety rules
title_full How institutions enhance mindfulness: Interactions between external regulators and front-line operators around safety rules
title_fullStr How institutions enhance mindfulness: Interactions between external regulators and front-line operators around safety rules
title_full_unstemmed How institutions enhance mindfulness: Interactions between external regulators and front-line operators around safety rules
title_sort how institutions enhance mindfulness: interactions between external regulators and front-line operators around safety rules
publisher Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University
publishDate 2020
url https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6428
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/7427/viewcontent/20190902_2_How_Institutions_Enhance_Mindfulness.pdf
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