The impact of cross-training and work-load on team functioning: A replication and extension of initial findings

    Authors

    J. A. Cannon-Bowers; E. Salas; E. Blickensderfer;C. A. Bowers

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Hum. Factors

    Keywords

    PERFORMANCE; Behavioral Sciences; Engineering, Industrial; Ergonomics; Psychology, ; Applied; Psychology

    Abstract

    Although previous research has shown that cross-training team members improves team performance, a number of questions remain concerning the nature of cross-training. The current study provides an extension of previous cross-training research bf investigating two theoretical issues: the nature of cross-training and the joint impact of cross-training and workload on team functioning. The study examined 40 three-person teams performing a simulated radar task. Results indicated that positional rotation was an effective cross-training method for highly interdependent tasks, that cross-trained teams developed a greater degree of interpositional knowledge than did teams that were not cross-trained, and that cross-training was important only under high-workload performance conditions. The current study suggests that the type of cross-training necessary to improve team performance may be related to the nature of the task and that cross-training may be effective in allowing teams to coordinate implicitly - that is, without the need to communicate overtly. Taken together with previous work, the results of this study indicate strong support for the efficacy of cross-training as a means to help teams perform well. Potential applications of this research include training for military, medical, and aviation teams.

    Journal Title

    Human Factors

    Volume

    40

    Issue/Number

    1

    Publication Date

    1-1-1998

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    92

    Last Page

    101

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000073231500008

    ISSN

    0018-7208

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