Exploring the Social Construction of Emergent Change in a Complex Adaptive System: A Study of Complex Change in the Nuclear Power Industry

这项研究旨在探索语言和话语模式如何塑造复杂适应性人类系统中的创新和变化，这里的重点是核管理委员会(NRC)代表和核工业利益相关者之间沟通互动的变化。改革的背景是一项全行业的改革倡议，在该倡议中，核管理委员会与行业利益攸关方进行对话，以制定和实施修订后的反应堆监督程序(RROP)。RROP倡议被行业专家认为是NRC与其受监管客户互动方式的重大创新。该研究将使用扎根的理论方法，比较和对比两种沟通互动模式，一种是在RROP Change倡议发展期间发生的，另一种是反映NRC和核工业代表之间传统沟通互动的形式。作为一名行业顾问，研究人员是参与者观察者，对项目数据和研究参与者的访问程度非常高。这项研究得到了核研究中心、核能研究所(NEI)、忧思科学家联盟(UCS)和核电站管理层的支持。

This study proposes to explore the ways in which language and patterns of discourse shape innovation and change in complex adaptive human systems, here focused on changes in communication interaction among representatives of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and nuclear industry stakeholders. The context for change is an industry-wide change initiative in which the NRC engaged industry stakeholders in a dialogue to develop and implement a revised reactor oversight process (RROP). The RROP initiative is considered by industry experts to be a significant innovation in the way that NRC interacts with its regulated clients.Using a grounded theory methodology, the study will compare and contrast two patterns of communication interaction, one that occurred during the development of the RROP change initiative, and the other reflecting the traditional form of communication interaction among representatives of the NRC and the nuclear industry. As a consultant in the industry the researcher is a participant observer and has an unusually high degree of access to project data and participants in the study. The study has the support of the NRC, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and nuclear power plant management.