Title

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

Authors

Authors

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

Comments

Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

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

Share

COinS