Cognitive work analysis (CWA) is a framework that was developed to
model
A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure.
Models c ...
a complex
sociotechnical system
Sociotechnical systems (STS) in organizational development is an approach to complex organizational work design that recognizes the interaction between people and technology in workplaces. The term also refer to coherent systems of human relatio ...
.
Modeling of system constraints
The framework models different types of
constraints, building a model of how work could proceed within a given work system. The focus on constraints separates the technique from other approaches to analysis that aim to describe how work is actually conducted, or prescribe how it should be conducted.
The CWA approach can be used to describe the constraints imposed by the purpose of a system, its functional properties, the nature of the activities that are conducted, the roles of the different human actors, and their
cognition skills and strategy.
Application
Rather than offer a prescribed methodology, the CWA framework instead acts as a toolkit that can be used either individually or in combination with one another, depending upon the analysis needs. These tools are divided between phases. The exact names and scopes of these phases differ slightly dependent on the scope of the analysis. However, the overall scope remains largely the same. As defined by Vicente (1999), the CWA framework comprises five different phases:
work domain analysis
In organization development, the initial phase within the Cognitive work analysis (CWA) framework is Work Domain Analysis. It provides a description of the constraints that govern the purpose and the function of the systems under analysis.
A ...
, control task (or activity) analysis, strategies analysis, social organisation and co-operation analysis, and the
Industrial & Organizational Assessment.
The different tools within the CWA framework have been used for a plethora of different purposes, including system modelling, system design, process design,
training needs analysis, training design and evaluation, interface design and evaluation,
[{{Cite book, title = Ecological Interface Design, vauthors = Burns CM, Hajdukiewicz J , publisher = CRC Press, year = 2004, isbn = 9780415283748, location = Boca Raton, Florida] information requirements specification, tender evaluation, team design, and error management training design. Despite its origin within the nuclear power domain, the CWA applications referred to above have taken place in a wide range of different domains, including naval, military, aviation, driving, and health care domains.
Research and design aims
It is especially difficult to prescribe a strict procedure for the CWA framework. In its true form, the framework is used to provide a description of the constraints within a domain. This description can then be used to address specific research and design aims.
References
See also
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AcciMap Approach
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Behavioral systems analysis Behavioral systems analysis (BSA), or performance systems analysis, applies behavior analysis and systems analysis to human performance in organizations. BSA is directly related to performance management and organizational behavior management.
De ...
Business process modelling
Ergonomics