The role of uncertainty in systems engineering practice: An empirical analysis of engineering peer reviews

Uncertainty is a theoretical concept that undergirds much of organizational theory and engineering theory. This paper analyzes systems engineering peer review data obtained from a large defense contracting company to better understand the gaps between theory and practice with respect to uncertainty. Preliminary results reveal that in practice uncertainty plays critical roles with respect to language and system ontology that heretofore have been neglected or underrepresented in theory.