Combining network analysis with Cognitive Work Analysis: insights into social organisational and cooperation analysis

Abstract

Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) allows complex, sociotechnical systems to be explored in terms of their potential configurations. However, CWA does not explicitly analyse the manner in which person-to-person communication is performed in these configurations. Consequently, the combination of CWA with Social Network Analysis provides a means by which CWA output can be analysed to consider communication structure. The approach is illustrated through a case study of a military planning team. The case study shows how actor-to-actor and actor-to-function mapping can be analysed, in terms of centrality, to produce metrics of system structure under different operating conditions.

Abstract

Practitioner Summary: In this paper, a technique for building social network diagrams from CWA is demonstrated. The approach allows analysts to appreciate the potential impact of organisational structure on a command system.

Keywords::

• systems design
• sociotechnical systems
• Cognitive Work Analysis
• network analysis
• visualisation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

^1. In UK military, a battlegroup is a military unit, comprising different types of troops from different regiments, that has been brought together for the purposes of a specific battle or military campaign. The purpose of the battlegroup concept is, therefore, to provide an integrated planning and command structure across a range of different troops. So, a battlegroup might consist of engineers, logisticians, signallers, intelligence analysts, artillery, infantry, medical, etc. In US terms, a battlegroup comprises five companies. We are using the UK definition of the term in this paper.