Organizational learning in forensic fingerprint investigation: Solving critical challenges with organizational rule construction

Abstract

Final draft of Mustonen, V., Tuunainen, J., Pohjola, P. & Hakkarainen, K. (in press). Organizational learning in forensic fingerprint investigation: Solving critical challenges with organizational rule construction. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction. AbstractThe present study analyses data collected from a series of developmental seminars in a fingerprint laboratory during which fingerprint examiners jointly discussed and developed their work processes, analytical methods, decision-making criteria and rules of documentation. The analysed organizational development took place in the context of moving from paper to digital documentation and from individually to collectively mastered work process. The fingerprint examiners who participated in the seminar series jointly reflected on their existing professional rules and operational practices, improvement of which was called for to facilitate organizational learning. The analysed data set consists of 10 audio-recorded developmental seminars with written documents as well as notes and decisions that were made during the seminar. The results of the study will reveal the complex ways in which the fingerprint examiners share their practical professional knowledge and collectively create decision-making criteria and rules of investigative practices so as to adapt their work practices to the changing quality requirements, evolving international standards and digitalization of research documentation.