Joint Cognitive Systems

People and Computers in JCSs 153

Part of the processes of cross-adaptation between blunt and sharp ends of a field

of practice is the system of accountability—hum an decision making always occurs

in a context of expectations in which one may be called to give a ccounts for those

decisions to different parties ( Tetlock, 1999; Lerner & Te tlock, 1999). Different

systems of a ccountability c an exacerbate or help r esolve goal conflicts and

dilemmas (Dekker, 2004; Woods, 2005a). The research results indicate—when

organizations’ syste ms of accountability create authority-responsibility double

binds, they impose new complexities and dilemmas that undermine practice at the

sharp end. Authority-responsib ility double binds oc cur when a party has

responsibil ...