Reliable beyond Design: The Role of Operational Actors in Dealing with Increasing Uncertainty in Complex Temporary Technical Organizations

This dissertation studies the role of operational actors in sustaining the reliability of operations managed by Complex Temporary Technical Organizations (CTTOs). It explores the challenges posed by the interconnectivity in these operations, particularly in regulated environments where their failure can have severe consequences. By examining the practices of interorganizational operational actors working together for a limited period of time, the research highlights the limitations of current management and external governance approaches in this context. The research emphasizes the importance of adaptive practices between interorganizational actors to align work designs with actual work situations and offers insights into the dynamic, often informal, interpretive strategies that complement design strategies to sustain operational reliability. Drawing on cross-sectoral data from five CTTO operations in the Netherlands and the United States, the dissertation comprises three empirical studies based on a qualitative design derived from semi-structured interviews, workshop observations and expert opinion interviews. The primary aim was to better understand how interorganizational operational actors work together to coordinate work and deal with change in day-to-day operations, while also meeting external governance requirements. Key findings highlight the importance of adaptive practices, resilience and a refined understanding of external governance and compliance in practice. The dissertation emphasizes that the growing organizing, technical and governance interconnectivity is changing the role of operational actors, and argues for a paradigm shift in the management and external governance of CTTO operations from deterministic approaches toward approaches better suited to increasing uncertainty. By providing insights into the day-to-day practices aimed at sustaining the reliability of CTTO operations, the research contributes to a deeper understanding of how these operations deal with the challenges of their increasingly complex operational practice. This work contributes to the broader discourse on the management and governance of complex, temporary, technical organizations operating in uncertain and ambiguous contexts, and provides constructive insights for both practitioners and researchers interested in the coordination and external governance of CTTO operations. In conclusion, the dissertation nuances the understanding of sharp end practices in CTTO operations. Through the CTTO lens, the dissertation enriches the discourse on operational reliability. It advocates a practice-based approach to researching these operations, arguing that a nuanced understanding of sharp end practices where technology, people and procedures converge, is key to sustaining operational reliability in the face of uncertainty.