Improvisation vs. (meta)rules: effects on the reliability of a highly reliable organization: the case of a bridge team in the French Navy.

Summary What are the most appropriate response modes for dealing with the unexpected and under time constraints to maintain or reinforce organizational reliability? The work of the HRO (High Reliability Organization) current and the actionist current converge on the fact that the individual constitutes a source of reliability. However, they diverge on the importance given to the respect of rules in the face of unforeseen events. In order to analyze the adaptation behaviors of individuals within a restricted group in the face of risky and unexpected situations under time constraints, attention is focused on the study of nautical situations experienced by surface ships of the French Navy. An initial qualitative approach carried out with experts in the field studied, completed by a quantitative approach carried out from 237 nautical situations, highlights the risky configurations at the origin of nautical accidents. This information allows us to subject bridge watch teams to risky situations, within the framework of an experiment, using the navigation simulator of the Naval School, training school for officers of the French Navy. The behaviors of 96 bridge watch teams, in initial training, on the navigation simulator allow to test, according to the different situations, the associated responses: improvisation of procedures, recourse to rules with or without the use of meta rules. The results of the experimentation underline the interest of meta rules in the treatment of highly complex situations requiring rapid action, but also the risks of an unframed improvisation.