Abstract

This paper shows a collaboration between the study of organizational action and ergonomic analysis. The regulation of the processes of work action and the cognitive regulation of operators are jointly studied in the comparison of two real-world case studies focused on the maintenance of railway infrastructure: the maintenance of the line and the repair of electrical signaling installations. The interactions between the affirmation of autonomy or the exercise of discretion and different approaches to the time management of working activities affect in various ways the reliability of the system. In urgent cases, the affirmation of autonomy may promote reliability, while in case of time pressure the exercise of discretion may increase the risk of unreliability.