Cognitive dimensions of organisational reliability: a scoping review

Originated in the engineering and leaked into other fields, reliability is now a demanded feature for all human-made systems, including organisations. Although the hard dimensions of reliability have been studied for decades, addressing soft and especially cognitive dimensions of reliability is an emerging research interest. To identify the conceptual borders of this multidisciplinary research area, we conducted a scoping review to find, select and map the general characteristics, methodological features, main findings and practical implications of the eligible studies. Using a search query three scientific databases (EBSCO, Wiley Online Library and Springer Link) were searched in title, abstract and keywords for relevant studies. The included studies were 57 English-written original research articles published in SJR Q1 journals. Data extraction revealed three research themes as the main paths for exploring cognitive dimensions of organisational reliability: mindfulness, safety and resilience. The safety-driven studies were focused on error management, safety knowledge management and cultural considerations. The focus of the resilience-driven strand was on crisis management, organisational resilience and employee resilience. As the last group, the mindfulness-driven studies were considered as the explicitly cognitive centre of the emerging field that pursues cognitive-based reliability by improving safety and resilience. © 2023 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.. All rights reserved.