Error Orientation and Reflection at Work

Abstract

Reflection on events at work, including errors is often as a means to learn effectively through work. In a cross-sectional field study in the banking sector, we investigated attitudes towards workplace errors (i.e. error orientation) as predictors of reflective activity. We assumed the organisational climate for psychological safety to have a mediating effect. The study participants were 84 client advisors from the retail banking departments in branches of a German bank. The client advisors' were being affected by a range of changes in their workplaces at the time of the data collection. This situation afforded these workers opportunity for learning but also involved the risk of error by these staff. Regression analyses identified that error competence and learning from errors were significant predictors of reflection. The results confirmed the mediating role of psychological safety on the association between attitudes towards errors and reflective working behaviour.

Interactional Processes of Handling Errors in Vocational School: Students Attending to Changes in Vocational Practices

“…A number of authors argue that a vital condition for learning from errors is that persons are given ample opportunities to not only experience and improvise on various errors but to take time to reflect on them (Dalehefte et al, 2012;Heimbeck et al, 2003;Hetzner et al, 2012;Keith, 2012). In this line of research, errors are individual actions or decisions that lead to negative deviations from a desired outcome and, moreover, learning from these errors involves persons' reflections on related causes and solutions .…”

“…From a cognitive perspective, it has been argued that reflections on errors may lead to the development of negative knowledge (Gartmeier et al, 2008;Gartmeier, Gruber, & Heid, 2010;Gartmeier et al, 2011;Hetzner et al, 2012). Negative knowledge can be specified in terms of, for example, negative procedural knowledge of "what not to do" and, as such, it constitutes persons' active ability to avoid errors.…”

“…Another form of negative knowledge has been defined as declarative knowledge of "what or how something is not" (Gartmeier et al, 2008;Gartmeier et al, 2011;Minsky, 1994;Oser et al, 2012). In addition to the mentioned two dimensions of negative knowledge, recent studies have added another aspect termed "self-reflective negative knowledge" (Hetzner et al, 2012). This refers to students' considerations of their own limitations or deficiencies in knowledge and skills.…”

“…The phenomenon of errors has drawn much attention since they seem to be an inevitable, integral aspect of activity in multiple contexts, such as work, school, sports, and everyday life Harteis, Bauer, & Heid, 2012;Hetzner, Gartmeier, Heid, & Gruber, 2012). In research exploring this theme, errors have been conceptualized as individual actions or decisions that lead to negative deviations from a desired outcome (Bauer, Gartmeier, & Harteis, 2012).…”

“…Prior studies have shown that persons' development of various forms of negative knowledge of "what not to do" and "what one does not yet know" is an important outcome of learning from errors (Gartmeier, Bauer, Gruber, & Heid, 2008;Gartmeier & Schüttelkopf, 2012;Hetzner et al, 2012;Oser, Näpflin, Hofer, & Aerni, 2012). However, several researchers argue that there is a need for additional research unveiling the processes through which students' learning from errors takes place in daily interactions Dalehefte et al, 2012;Gartmeier & Schüttelkopf, 2012;Heimbeck et al, 2003;Seifried & Höpfer, 2013).…”