This study presents the Contextual Adjustment Mechanism (CAM), an interpretive-operational mechanism designed to address contextual misalignment in socio-technical Human Service Systems (HSS), including healthcare, education, and social services. CAM addresses situations in which institutional interpretations of complex human experiences become stabilized before relevant contextual information is incorporated into decision-making. The mechanism was developed through qualitative multi-case analysis of institutional interactions, identifying recurring patterns where lived experiences were translated into institutional meanings associated with premature interpretive closure and contextual misalignment. CAM introduces a dual-layer structure that preserves operational continuity while enabling contextual reconsideration before institutional interpretations guide action. The first layer maintains service continuity, while the second supports interpretive awareness without replacing professional judgment or institutional responsibilities. The analysis identified cases where institutional responses remained procedurally consistent but insufficiently aligned with experienced contextual conditions. By addressing how institutional meaning is constructed and stabilized before interpretive closure, CAM provides an operationally applicable approach to improve alignment between lived experience and institutional action in complex socio-technical systems.

Keywords

Institutional Misalignment; Contextual Adjustment Mechanism; Socio-Technical Systems; Organizational Sensemaking; Interpretive Closure