This is a narrative about the creation and implementation of High Reliability Organization theory in two healthcare organizations. The emergence of HRO theory from firefighting and other high-risk fields is discussed, and applied to a business setting. The barriers to the process were addressed, and the results of several years of HRO in practice are summarized. A stronger safety culture was made possible through this work.
Van Stralen, D. (2008). High-Reliability organizations: Changing the culture of care in two medical units. Design Issues, 24(1), 78-90. doi:10.1162/desi.2008.24.1.78