Description
Book SynopsisThe ways in which organizations make use of information available to them to make decisions and manage activity is an essential topic of investigation for human factors. When the information is uncertain, incomplete or subject to change, then decision making and activity management can become challenging. Under such circumstances, it has become commonplace to use the concept of sensemaking as the lens through which to view organizational behavior. This book offers a unique perspective on sensemaking through its consideration of the variety of ways in which Incident Response is managed by the Police. As an incident moves from the initial call handling to subsequent mobilization of response to first officer attending, a wide range of information is acquired, processed and shared, and the organization (and individuals who work within it) face challenges of making sense of the situation to which they are responding. Moving from routine incidents to large-scale emergencies, the author
Trade Review"This book is of most value to the individuals who seek to make sense of sensemaking as a social activity which transpires differently in varying contexts. The authors take the reader on the journey from individual sensemaking to a multi-agency, multi-level sensemaking; from routine and simplistic situations to high-risk, high-volatility, and high-uncertainty events. In conclusion, the reader will learn about possible solutions to enhance the performance of diverse teams, even in most stressful situations.
In conclusion, it is my opinion that the authors have successfully reached their goal of introducing distributed cognition as a valid and intriguing member of the family of sensemaking theories. The principles of the theory promise to initiate further research into the phases of sensemaking, especially in the context of our rapidly changing world."
—Olga Kozlova, Marquette University, USA
Table of ContentsPreface. Introduction; Individual Sensemaking; Sensemaking with Artefacts; Collaborative Sensemaking; Command and Control in the UK Emergency Services; Sensemaking in Command and Control; Managing Routine Incidents; Distributed Cognition in Routine Incidents; Responding to Major Incidents; Distributed Cognition in Major Incidents; The Challenges of Interoperability; Sensemaking and Organisational Structure in Emergency Response; Common Operating Pictures; Discussion
