The study of human error in an organisational context is important because of its potential consequences. Negative consequences of error include adverse effects on individual health and wellbeing, and a reduction in productivity for the organisation, while positive consequences can include innovative solutions. Much of the research into human error has been undertaken on the causation and prevention of errors. However, it is almost inevitable that lapses in attention and memory will continue and that decisions will be found to be erroneous with hindsight. In light of the ubiquity of error, an error orientation framework is presented in this thesis to assist in understanding how individuals cope with errors. Such a framework ultimately complements rather than competes with investigations into error causation and prevention. Error orientation is a construct that represents individual differences in coping with errors in the workplace and was initially investigated by Rybowiak, Garst, Frese and Batinic (1999). Rybowiak et al. identifies problem-focussed and emotion-focussed error coping strategies, but these are subsumed with error appraisal. In developing an alternative conceptualisation of error orientation to that of Rybowiak et al., a distinction is made between appraisal and coping, one that is central in the general coping construct of Lazarus and Folkman (1984). The framework presented in this thesis is further differentiated from that of Rybowiak et al. by the inclusion of resources used when coping with errors, that is, the resources of the perpetrator of the error and support provided by others. In this way, a two-by-two framework is created with each quadrant representing a unique combination of strategy and resource. The creation of such a framework highlights the limited research on the use of social support to regulate emotional responses to error.