Investigating Linear and Interactive Effects of Shared Mental Models on Safety and Efficiency in a Field Setting

Do inconsistent mental models impact performance? Moderating effects of managerial interpretation and practice sets

Deviant cognition, referring to team members' different understanding of goals or rules, results in inconsistent mental models among the team. Although previous studies have examined the negative effects of inconsistent mental models on deviant behavior and performance in the workplace, they have failed to consider their positive effects and moderating mechanisms, thus limiting our understanding of how to manage inconsistent mental models and deviant cognition. To address this research gap, this study builds on the interpretation and information processing theory, which regards mental models as the result of information processing, especially involving interactions where interpretation of the information is required. The study initially recruited 174 team managers as participants to identify instances of managerial interpretation. The team managers' interpretation modes were then categorized into four types (absorb, shift, limit, and explore), and a questionnaire was developed to measure them. The moderating effects of the modes on execution and innovation performance were also examined. Matched data were then collected from interviews with 104 team managers and 312 of their team members. The regression results showed that absorb, shift, and limit interpretation modes, as well as the practice sets involving managers and members, attenuated the negative relationship between inconsistent mental models and execution performance. The explore interpretation mode and the practice sets enhanced the positive relationship between inconsistent mental models and team innovation. The findings of this study help to understand the cognitive level of deviance in teams and the moderating effects of managerial interpretation on the relationship between deviant cognition, or inconsistent mental models, and performance, suggesting the need to study and utilize the positive roles of inconsistent mental models or deviance through managerial interpretation. The results also call for firms to train managers' interpretation skills and design close working links with team members.

The effect of team-member knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) and a common learning experience on sourcing teamwork effectiveness

Purpose

A lack of sourcing-specific team research prevents a full understanding of sourcing teamwork effectiveness (STE). Moreover, the limited purchasing and supply management (PSM) team literature often tends to focus on an aggregate group level. The paper makes a step towards adopting an individual actor perspective on teamwork effectiveness with an emphasis on the context of sourcing, explicating the effects of team-member knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs), and examining how these relationships are moderated by a common learning experience of strategic sourcing masterclass.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a cross-sectional survey, this study analyses a sample of 90 sourcing team members from a global aerospace manufacturing company using hierarchical regression analysis.

Findings

The results suggest that four of the five KSAs positively and significantly affect STE; the exception was collaborative problem solving. Masterclass learning outcomes were found to positively moderate the effects of these KSAs on STE, again exclusive of the collaborative problem-solving KSA.

Research limitations/implications

Cross-sectional design focused only on the aerospace sector may affect generalizability. Further, longitudinal research designs would capture the effects of the common learning experience over an extended period.

Practical implications

Sourcing team members could be selected based on having KSAs which significantly affect teamwork effectiveness. Training and development for sourcing teams should combine guided reflexivity and cross-training to deliver learning outcomes that create similar team mental models.

Originality/value

The study provides an individual team-member perspective on the functioning of sourcing teams which is absent in the extant research. It contributes to the very limited research base on skills in PSM.

Videogame-Based Training: The Impact and Interaction of Videogame Characteristics on Learning Outcomes

Virtualized training provides high fidelity environments to practice skills and gain knowledge, potentially mitigating harmful consequences from real life mistakes. Current research has focused on videogames, believed to have characteristics that improve learning. There is conflicting evidence on the benefits of using videogame-based training to improve learning. This study explored the impact of two videogame characteristics (i.e., rules/goals clarity and human interaction), on mid-training scores and post-training scores (i.e., familiar task and novel task). Results from a sample of 513 undergraduates showed that both videogame characteristics significantly impacted mid-training performance but not post-training performance; clear rules/goals and completing the training alone improved mid-training performance. There was also a significant moderation between the two videogame characteristics for post-training scores on the novel task, but not the familiar task, or mid-training performance. Findings suggest videogame characteristics have an immediate but not sustained impact on learning; implications are discussed.

Multilevel homology and discontinuity of person-group fit on individual and team creativity

We develop a multilevel framework that proposes the main and interactive effects of person-group (PG) fit in values and abilities on creativity at the individual and group levels. Our analysis of field data collected from 738 members comprising 108 work teams provides empirical support for our multilevel model of PG fit. Specifically, ability fit and collective ability fit exhibit consistent positive effects on individual and team creativity, respectively (i.e., multilevel homology). By contrast, at the individual level, value fit suppresses the positive effect of ability fit on individual creativity, while at the group level, collective value fit accentuates the positive effect of collective ability fit on team creativity (i.e., multilevel discontinuity). This study highlights the significance of multilevel interactive perspective on person-environment fit.

Evaluating teamwork among medical staff: How to measure and compare aspects of the team mental models of doctors and nurses

Shared perceptions of a task among those responsible for its completion are important for achieving successful outcomes. This study proposes a framework for eliciting various aspects of team members' "mental models" (TMMs) of complex medical tasks. The intention is to provide 'proof of concept' for a methodology to measure similarities and differences between team members' perceptions of selected attributes of the task. Applying our framework in a gynecology ward, we use cognitive interviewing and concept mapping to reveal differences between the TMMs of doctor and nurse teams. These group differences are found to reflect limited awareness of the other group's level of involvement, workload, responsibilities and contributions to quality of care. We argue that such differences may lead to frustration, conflict, poor teamwork and risks to patient safety; but once identified, and subject to certain limitations, the differences could be used to develop interventions that will enhance teamwork.

How should a team be rewarded to improve quality performance of NPD?

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the impact of team rewards (TR) on quality performance of new product development (NPD). In particular, the authors analyze whether the use of TR affects the performance of NPD team projects in not only accomplishing their work as a team and the outcomes of their performance but also considering the enhancement of the involvement of both internal functions and external actors (suppliers and customers) in the early stages of NPD.

Design/methodology/approach

The association of TRs on quality performances of new products is theoretically approached. Seven research hypotheses are proposed to be tested with an international database from the high performance manufacturing project. Empirical strategy includes structural equation modeling.

Findings

The authors observed that TR does not produce a direct effect on quality performance of NPD, but does so mediated through the involvement of SC members in the early stages of NPD. This paper highlights that, without involvement of external and internal supply chain actors, it is not possible to obtain desired performance of new products.

Originality/value

This study advances the study of TR on quality performance of NPD by considering TR as a tool for in-group work involving different and distant actors in the process of NPD. The analysis considers different dimensions of quality performance of NPD, distinguishing between time to market, technical issues and cost of manufacturing, which have usually been considered in an aggregated way. Empirical evidence using an ample database including manufacturing companies from fourteen countries

Getting the Knack for Team-Improvised Adaptation: The Role of Reflexivity and Team Mental Model Similarity

Organizational teams operate in increasingly volatile environments in which the speed and degree of change accelerates, demanding rapid adaptation processes namely of the improvisational type. It is therefore essential to understand how to prepare teams to operate in such contexts. This work investigates the effects of team mental model similarity, in-action reflexivity, and transitional reflexivity on team-improvised adaptation performance and on team-improvised adaptation learning. Two experiments were conducted with a total of 121 teams. We manipulated the independent variables and used an overtime design to measure team-improvised adaptation learning. Our findings suggest that teams operating in unpredictable environments that require rapid adaptation should be able to reflect collectively, both while acting and between tasks. These teams should also develop a common understanding of the main elements of the context and the task, so that they are effective in the face of unpredictability and rapid change.

How teams perform under emergent and dynamic situations: the roles of mental models and backup behaviors

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the roles of team mental models (TMMs) and backup behaviors for teams operating under emergent and dynamic situations. Specifically, the authors used a biased-corrected bootstrapping approach to assess the mediation effects of backup behaviors between the similarity of TMMs and team performance.

Design/methodology/approach

TMMs are a representation of the common understanding and beliefs in terms of task requirements or teamwork skills among different team members. It has wide implementations in various teams that are required to adapt quickly to an emergent and dynamic environment. The construct of TMMs has been studied extensively in previous literature, indicating a strong relationship between TMMs and team performance. However, how TMMs affect team performance under emergent and dynamic situations is only partially understood.

Findings

The findings of this study suggest that the similarity of task-focused mental models positively affects team performance through the mediation effects of backup behaviors. In contrast, the similarity of team-focused mental models does not positively affect backup behaviors and team performance.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the TMMs literature by investigating how teams perform in an emergent and dynamic environment. It not only provides theoretical support to the similarity of TMMs–backup behaviors–team performance relationships but has important implications in terms of team training and decision-making for teams operating under such conditions.

Healthcare Professionals Experience of Psychological Safety, Voice, and Silence

Healthcare professionals who feel psychologically safe believe it is safe to take interpersonal risks such as voicing concerns, asking questions and giving feedback. Psychological safety is a complex phenomenon which is influenced by organizational, team and individual level factors. However, it has primarily been assessed as a team-level phenomenon. This study focused on understanding healthcare professionals' individual experiences of psychological safety. We aim to gain a fuller understanding of the influence team leaders, interpersonal relationships and individual characteristics have on individuals' psychological safety and their decisions to engage in voice or silence behavior. Thirty-four interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals from across five teams working within an acute, suburban hospital. Hybrid inductive-deductive thematic analysis focused on identifying themes which captured the complexities of individuals' varied experiences of psychological safety. The themes identified were: "Personal Characteristics," "Past Experiences," "Individual Perceptions of Being Valued," and "Judged Appropriateness of Issues/Concerns." These themes are explored within the context of motivating and inhibiting factors associated with the influence of leadership, interpersonal relationships and individual characteristics on experiences of psychological safety and voice behavior. These results extend existing theoretical frameworks guiding our understanding of psychological safety by accounting for the variation in individuals' experiences and studying these significant influences on voice behavior. Important considerations for the development of interventions to enhance psychological safety are discussed.

Scale development and validation of shared mental models of information and communication technology (ICT SMM)

Purpose

Virtual teams are on the rise and many companies are implementing them to compete for the most talented experts. However, the use of information and communication technology (ICT), on which virtual teams depend, often ends in communication chaos. Research has shown that shared mental models (SMM), which are knowledge structures on team level, enhance team communication. In teams, which use ICTs, shared mental models of ICTs (ICT SMM) seem to be important. However, few studies that investigated ICT SMM have used different measurements that restrict their generalization. The purpose of this study is to define ICT SMM as well as develop and validate an ICT SMM scale.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a cross-sectional questionnaire in two different samples (N1 = 117 students and N2 = 165 employees).

Findings

The results of item and factor analyses indicated that ICT SMM contain at least two facets, ICT functionalities and task-specific ICT use and are distinct from teamwork, taskwork and temporal SMM. The ICT SMM scale reached good validity and reliability. On an individual level, ICT SMM were positively associated with perceived team performance and coordination and negatively with ineffective communication, workload and frustration.

Research limitations/implications

Future research using teams as sample to validate the ICT SMM scale seems to be promising.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that developed and validated a rating scale to measure SMM of ICT in different samples.

Exploring patterns of multiple climates and their effects on safety performance at the department level

INTRODUCTION

This paper represents a first attempt to fill a gap in research about different specific climates and safety outcomes, by empirically identifying patterns of climates and exploring the possible effect of different climates at the department level on some specific safety outcomes. The first objective was to explore how different specific climates (safety, communication, diversity and inclusion) can be associated to each other, considering the department level of analysis. The second objective was to examine the relationships between those patterns of climates with safety performance (compliance and participation behaviors).

METHOD

A total of 429 blue-collar workers in 35 departments answered a questionnaire covering safety, diversity, inclusion, and communication climate measures. Cluster analysis was performed to identify clusters of departments with different climate patterns and their impact on safety compliance and safety participation behaviors. Subsequently, a hierarchical multiple linear regression was conducted at the individual-level to test the effect of climate patterns, by controlling for some sociodemographic variables.

RESULTS

Results showed the existence of four differentiated clusters of departments. Three of those clusters showed homogenous patterns (coherent association among perceptions of low, medium and high climates) and one heterogeneous (low and medium perceptions). The findings also revealed that the higher the climates perceptions, the higher the levels of safety participation and safety compliance, with safety participation being more affected than compliance.

CONCLUSIONS

The present research showed the associated effects of some organizational climate factors, such as fair treatment, inclusion, safety and communication within the organization, which had not been previously studied in their combined relationships, on safety behaviors. Practical applications: Several other organizational climate factors, such as fair treatment, inclusiveness and communication, may play an important role in safety, showing the importance of broadening the focus on safety climate as one of the main predictors of safety behaviors.

Can Teamwork Promote Safety in Organizations?

In this review, we conceptualize teamwork as the linchpin driving safety performance throughout an organization. Safety is promoted by teams through various mechanisms that interact in a complex and dynamic process. We press pause on this dynamic process to organize a discussion highlighting the critical role played by teamwork factors in the engagement of safe and unsafe behavior, identifying five team-level emergent states that enable effective teamwork and safety: psychological safety, team trust, collective efficacy, shared mental models, and situation awareness. Additionally, we consider foundational conditions that support team-driven safety, the development of safety culture, and the importance of team safety climate in shaping performance. We discuss leveraging teams to generate safety and identify directions for future research investigating the relationship between teamwork and safety. Overall, we submit that researchers and practitioners would benefit from taking a systems perspective of safety by integrating principles of team science to better understand and promote safety in organizations.

Adaptive Team Performance: The Influence of Membership Fluidity on Shared Team Cognition

Team membership change literature has traditionally focused on performance effects of newcomers to teams. Yet, in practice, teams frequently experience membership loss without replacement (e.g., downsizing) or membership exchanges-replacing a member who has left the organization with a current, experienced employee. Despite the prevalence of these practices, little is known about the impact of such changes on team performance. Drawing upon two complementary team adaptation theories, the influence of both membership loss without replacement and loss with replacement by experienced personnel on the cognitive processes underlying adaptation (operationalized as development of effective team mental models - TMMs) was examined. Results suggested that Teammate TMMs (i.e., shared knowledge of member preferences/tendencies) and Team Interaction TMMs (i.e., shared knowledge of roles/responsibilities) are differentially influenced by the movement of members in and out of teams and differentially predict adaptive team performance. Further, TMM measurement choice (i.e., the use of similarity versus distance scores) matters as relationships differed depending on which metric was used. These results are discussed in the context of team adaptation theory, with implications for strategic human resource management.

Art as Sanctuary: A Four-Year Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Visual Art Course Addressing Uncertainty Through Reflection

PURPOSE

Engagement with visual art is a promising modality for addressing issues of uncertainty via reflective practice, one that is being increasingly used in health science education. An elective museum-based course for first-year medical students was created by two medical schools and led by an art educator experienced in medical education. The course, Observation and Uncertainty in Art and Medicine, sought to help students explore experiences of uncertainty and to develop reflective capacity through engagement with visual art.

METHOD

The course was run and evaluated from 2014 to 2017, with 47 students participating over the 4 years, with 12 students enrolled per year. Before and after the course, students were given the Groningen Reflection Ability Scale (GRAS) for reflective ability, the Tolerance for Ambiguity scale for ambiguity, and Best Intentions Questionnaire for personal bias awareness, and 35 students (74%) completed all of the scales. Focus group interviews and narrative postcourse evaluations were conducted, coded, and thematically analyzed.

RESULTS

Statistically significant improvement was found in GRAS scores. Qualitative themes included student enhancement of observational skills, awareness of the subjectivity and uncertainty of perception, exploration of multiple points of view, and recognition of the course as a place for restoration and connection to classmates.

CONCLUSIONS

Incorporating visual art into medical education is an effective pedagogical method for addressing competencies central to training, including observation, reflection, and self-care.

The Impact of Multimodal Communication on a Shared Mental Model, Trust, and Commitment in Human–Intelligent Virtual Agent Teams

There is an increasing interest in the use of intelligent virtual agents (IVAs) to work in teams with humans. To achieve successful outcomes for these heterogeneous teams, many of the aspects found in successful human teams will need to be supported. These aspects include behavioural (i.e., multimodal communication), cognitive (i.e., a shared mental model (SMM)), and social (trust and commitment). Novelly, this paper aims to investigate the impact of IVA’s multimodal communication on the development of a SMM between humans and IVAs. Moreover, this paper aims to explore the impact of the developed SMM on a human’s trust in an IVA’s decisions and a human’s commitment to honour his/her promises to an IVA. The results from two studies involving a collaborative activity showed a significant positive correlation between team multimodal communication (i.e., behavioural aspect) and a SMM between teammates (i.e., cognitive aspect). Moreover, the result showed that there is a significant positive correlation between the developed SMM and a human’s trust in the IVA’s decision and the human’s commitment to honour his/her promises (the establishment of the social aspect of teamwork). Additionally, the results showed a cumulative effect of all of these aspects on human–agent team performance. These results can guide the design of human–agent teamwork multimodal communication models.

Shaping the shared mental model: How leader humility helps teams to learn

Although an increasing amount of the leadership literature argues that leader humility is beneficial to team learning, few studies have examined this effect directly and, as such, little is known about why leader humility has such important effects or when these effects can be amplified or attenuated. Utilizing a survey of 305 employees on 89 teams, we found a positive relationship existing between leader humility and team learning. The results also indicated that a shared mental model was an important mechanism revealing why leader humility could stimulate team members to learn. In addition, we found that the learning effect stimulated by leader humility was much stronger on teams having a high collective promotion focus instead of a high collective prevention focus. Theoretical implications and managerial practices were also discussed.

Patient-centered knowledge sharing in healthcare organizations: Identifying the external barriers

OBJECTIVE

This paper reports on a research study, which aims to identify, qualify, and theorize the external barriers that prevent and hinder the exercises and activities of patient-centered knowledge sharing (KS) in healthcare organizations.

METHODS

The project adopted a qualitative secondary analysis approach as the overarching methodology to guide the analysis of data collected in a previously completed research study. Specifically, 46 semi-structured interview data were included and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach.

RESULTS

The secondary analysis showed that healthcare KS is strongly influenced and hindered by five external barriers: social belief and preference, cultural values, healthcare education structure, political decisions, and economic environment and constraints. Moreover, the research findings suggest that these external barriers cannot be overlooked in KS implementation and operation in healthcare organizations and should be carefully assessed beginning in the early stages of KS design and strategic planning.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Based on the secondary analysis, this paper proposes a conceptual model, which will contribute to the development of hypotheses in the future for building a generalized knowledge. The case study used is Chinese healthcare, but the KS problems studied can be shared across international borders.

Case study of a structural model to explore the effects of knowledge sharing on intellectual capital

Purpose

It is commonly known that intellectual capital (IC) plays a remarkable role in organizations, especially in colleges and academic centers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of knowledge sharing (KS) on IC.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the extensive literature review, a questionnaire was designed. The questions were composed of two parts; KS questions and IC questions. In total, 352 students completed questionnaires in the Shahinshahr branch of Payam-e-Noor University. Structural equation modeling was used to develop the measurement model.

Findings

The findings showed that KS has a significant positive correlation with IC and its dimensions. The structural equation modeling confirmed the research model and showed a good match with it.

Originality/value

Given that this study aimed to examine KS and IC, it implies that with optimized knowledge management in universities, providing the infrastructures of KS and strengthening students’ motivational factors, KS capacities can be enhanced and IC of universities would be strengthened.

Workplace safety

Unsafe work environments have clear consequences for both individuals and organizations. As such, an ever-expanding research base is providing a greater understanding of the factors that affect workplace safety across organizational levels. However, despite scientific advances, the workplace safety literature suffers from a lack of theoretical and empirical integration that makes it difficult for organizational scientists to gain a comprehensive sense of (a) what we currently know about workplace safety and (b) what we have yet to learn. This review addresses these shortcomings. First, the authors provide a formal definition of workplace safety and then create an integrated safety model (ISM) based on existing theory to summarize current theoretical expectations with regard to workplace safety. Second, the authors conduct a targeted review of the safety literature and compare extant empirical findings with the ISM. Finally, the authors use the results of this review to articulate gaps between theory and research and then make recommendations for both theoretical and empirical improvements to guide and integrate future workplace safety research.

Understanding the relationship between mental models, conflict and conflict asymmetry

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to test theoretically based hypotheses linking task and team-shared mental models (SMMs) with multiple dimensions of conflict and conflict asymmetry. SMMs are viewed as an underlying mechanism of team processes. While current research has begun to clarify their influence on functional team processes, their influence on dysfunctional processes is still unknown.

Design/methodology/approach

– The survey was administered to 17 graduate business classes working on intense semester-long group projects. A total of 295 individual responses were received which comprised 90 (N = 90) teams.

Findings

– Results suggest that team SMMs reduce all dimensions of conflict and relationship conflict asymmetry, while task SMMs increase all dimensions of conflict and relationship conflict asymmetry.

Research limitations/implications

– This study captured the influence of SMMs on conflict at one stage of group development. Future research should examine the impact of SMMs on conflict at multiple stages of group development.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the literature on both mental models and conflict. In addition, based on our literature review, it was the first to empirically link SMMs and conflict asymmetry.

Making Teamwork Work: Team Knowledge for Team Effectiveness

This study examined the impact of two types of team knowledge on team effectiveness. The study assessed the impact of taskwork knowledge and teamwork knowledge on team satisfaction and performance. A longitudinal study was conducted with 27 service-management teams involving 178 students in a real-life restaurant setting. Teamwork knowledge was found to impact both team outcomes. Furthermore, team learning behavior was found to mediate the relationships between teamwork knowledge and team outcomes. Educators and managers should therefore ensure these types of knowledge are developed in teams along with learning behavior for maximum effectiveness.

Investigating the Relation Between Team Learning and the Team Situation Model

The development of a team situation model (TSM), a shared understanding of the current situation developed by team members moment by moment, and its impact on team effectiveness have received minor attention in team research. This study investigates a moderated mediation model including the relationship between the team learning processes of co-construction and constructive conflict, the TSM, and team effectiveness. Forty-seven emergency management command-and-control teams participated in this field study. Their task was to manage a realistic emergency simulation developed and organized by field experts. The multi-rater approach included ratings of team members, researchers, and field experts. Results show that co-construction is related to the TSM under the condition of high constructive conflict. The TSM predicts team effectiveness in terms of the quality of actions at the incident scene.

Measuring cognition in teams: a cross-domain review

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this article is twofold: to provide a critical cross-domain evaluation of team cognition measurement options and to provide novice researchers with practical guidance when selecting a measurement method.

BACKGROUND

A vast selection of measurement approaches exist for measuring team cognition constructs including team mental models, transactive memory systems, team situation awareness, strategic consensus, and cognitive processes.

METHODS

Empirical studies and theoretical articles were reviewed to identify all of the existing approaches for measuring team cognition. These approaches were evaluated based on theoretical perspective assumed, constructs studied, resources required, level of obtrusiveness, internal consistency reliability, and predictive validity.

RESULTS

The evaluations suggest that all existing methods are viable options from the point of view of reliability and validity, and that there are potential opportunities for cross-domain use. For example, methods traditionally used only to measure mental models may be useful for examining transactive memory and situation awareness. The selection of team cognition measures requires researchers to answer several key questions regarding the theoretical nature of team cognition and the practical feasibility of each method.

CONCLUSIONS

We provide novice researchers with guidance regarding how to begin the search for a team cognition measure and suggest several new ideas regarding future measurement research.

APPLICATIONS

We provide (1) a broad overview and evaluation of existing team cognition measurement methods, (2) suggestions for new uses of those methods across research domains, and (3) critical guidance for novice researchers looking to measure team cognition.

Toward a dynamic multilevel theory of team personality

Scholars have used a variety of ways to examine personality at the team level, yet never has a dynamic, multilevel approach been taken to examine the structure of team personality, how it develops, and how and why it may influence team effectiveness. If the concept of personality at the team level is to be taken seriously, we argue that a consistent theoretical orientation is necessary to synthesize past findings and guide future research. To fill this need, we discuss the definition, function, structure, and emergence of team personality, culminating in the development of a dynamic multilevel model linking individual team member personalities to team personality. This model is the basis through which we describe the development, path dependence, and impact of team personality. We conclude by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of our model.

Team processes for adaptive and innovative outcomes

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to consider how exploitative and exploratory team processes contribute to adaptive and innovative outcomes. The paper integrates the team learning and team adaptation literature and examines factors that stimulate and support exploitative and exploratory processes in interdisciplinary and homogeneous teams. This has implications for team learning research and facilitation that fosters adaptation and innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper reviews how teams learn to be exploitative and exploratory and the extent to which adaptive and innovative outcomes ensue. The paper suggests the value of teams understanding how different conditions (environment, leadership, member characteristics, and team composition) affect team members' interactions as they learn and apply exploitative and exploratory processes to produce adaptive and/or innovative outcomes.

Findings

– Teams learn frames of reference for being exploitative and exploratory influenced by environmental conditions, leadership, particularly leadership that creates psychological safety, and team member characteristics and team. Interdisciplinary team composition and resulting possible subgroup formation pose challenges for exploitative and exploratory teams.

Research limitations/implications

– Future research should study teams over time to observe subgroup formation and integration, and facilitation by leaders, team members, and group dynamics professionals to support exploratory and exploitative frames and the emergence of adaptations and innovations.

Practical implications

– Teams may be more successful in implementing innovations when they have learned how to weave between exploratory and exploitative frames of behavior.

Originality/value

– The paper applies exploitative and exploratory processes to teams to increase their capacity to produce adaptive and innovative outcomes.

The concept of shared mental models in healthcare collaboration

AIM

To report an analysis of the concept of shared mental models in health care.

BACKGROUND

Shared mental models have been described as facilitators of effective teamwork. The complexity and criticality of the current healthcare system requires shared mental models to enhance safe and effective patient/client care. Yet, the current concept definition in the healthcare literature is vague and, therefore, difficult to apply consistently in research and practice.

DESIGN

Concept analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Literature for this concept analysis was retrieved from several databases, including CINAHL, PubMed and MEDLINE (EBSCO Interface), for the years 1997-2013.

METHODS

Walker and Avant's approach to concept analysis was employed and, following Paley's guidance, embedded in extant theory from the team literature.

RESULTS

Although teamwork and collaboration are discussed frequently in healthcare literature, the concept of shared mental models in that context is not as commonly found but is increasing in appearance. Our concept analysis defines shared mental models as individually held knowledge structures that help team members function collaboratively in their environments and are comprised of the attributes of content, similarity, accuracy and dynamics.

CONCLUSION

This theoretically grounded concept analysis provides a foundation for a middle-range descriptive theory of shared mental models in nursing and health care. Further research concerning the impact of shared mental models in the healthcare setting can result in development and refinement of shared mental models to support effective teamwork and collaboration.

Teamwork and Collaboration

Safety and quality of health care depend on collaborative efforts of multiprofessional and multidisciplinary teams of care providers. Team research in aviation and the military has produced a wealth of knowledge in terms of concepts and intervention strategies to improve team performance. Research on collaborative work in health care in the past 20 years has uncovered unique characteristics and requirements of teams in hospitals and other health care settings and has provided early assessment of the utility of the theoretical concepts, methodologies, and interventions developed outside health care. In this chapter, we review a set of concepts that have been used in characterizing teams in health care and in improving teamwork. These concepts include the organizational shell to capture the sociotechnical environment in which teams reside as well as nontechnical skills, team leadership, team mental models, and so on. We will review a number of leading interventions to enhance team performance, such as teamwork training (e.g., TeamSTEPPS) and structured communication (e.g., SBAR). Future directions are suggested on better understanding of the interdependencies between teams and their organizational shell, such as standardization of operating procedures and training, and to focus on the patient in terms of teamwork improvement.

Capturing shared mental models: An approach for bona fide groups

Research on group cognition has shown positive associations between shared mental models and team performance. A variety of complex, quantitative methods have been used to elicit, represent and analyze shared mental models in groups. However, for bona fide groups to benefit from the positive outcomes from shared thinking, techniques are needed to capture, represent and understand their shared thinking that are easy to incorporate within their regular tasks and procedures. This article describes a qualitative method for eliciting and representing the shared mental models about the task and team interaction in a group of library managers. Findings are presented that show where there was similarity and divergence in the group’s thinking, and how that thinking changed over time. Research limitations of the technique are discussed along with ideas for groups to implement this method in practice.

The cognitive underpinnings of adaptive team performance in ill-defined task situations

As the nature of work changes due to technology, organizational restructuring, and globalization, complex tasks have emerged that necessitate the use of teams. Oftentimes, teams complete tasks that have more than one plausible solution or engage in performance episodes under uncertain circumstances. Therefore, teams are called upon to be highly adaptable to these ill-defined tasks by responding to continuous changes in the task environment. We propose that dimensions of team cognition (i.e., shared mental models and transactive memory systems) help drive adaptation. In recognition of the additional cognitive demands placed upon teams who must be highly adaptable, we believe much can be gained from taking a closer look at the facets of team-level cognitive variables. The current effort aims to provide a more comprehensive explanation of emergent cognitive states, and how they interact to drive adaptive team performance, especially within the context of ill-defined problems.

Quantifying similarity of team mental models: An introduction of the rrg index

Previous research has emphasized the importance of shared cognitions such as team mental models (TMM) for high performance in teams. The most prominent approaches to measure TMMs are based on indices of within-group agreement (e.g., rWG, r*WG, and aWG). However, a major shortcoming of these indices is the missing separation of team-specific agreement. Recent indices overestimate the existence of team-specific mental models if there is a common agreement beyond team borders. In this paper, we discuss team situations in which this team specific agreement is most important (e.g., competitive negotiation or action teams) and introduce the TMM index (rRG) that is based on random group resampling. The advantage of this index is its focus on team specific agreement rather than on common agreement. We demonstrate the usefulness of the rRG by comparing it to other agreement indices theoretically and by means of Monte Carlo simulation. Finally, limitations and fields of application are discussed.

The Role of Shared Mental Model Development in Understanding Virtual Team Effectiveness

In this article we develop a conceptual framework that examines the relationship between shared mental models, task interdependence, and virtual team performance. In addition, we use media synchronicity theory to examine how various attributes of the technologies used by virtual teams to communicate can influence the development of shared mental models. Finally, we employ a sense-making lens to explore in more detail how features inherent to different communication technologies influence the development of shared mental models. Our goal is that through examining these relationships, some of the mixed findings in prior virtual team research may be better explained.

Shared mental models of integrated care: aligning multiple stakeholder perspectives

PURPOSE

Health service organizations and professionals are under increasing pressure to work together to deliver integrated patient care. A common understanding of integration strategies may facilitate the delivery of integrated care across inter-organizational and inter-professional boundaries. This paper aims to build a framework for exploring and potentially aligning multiple stakeholder perspectives of systems integration.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The authors draw from the literature on shared mental models, strategic management and change, framing, stakeholder management, and systems theory to develop a new construct, Mental Models of Integrated Care (MMIC), which consists of three types of mental models, i.e. integration-task, system-role, and integration-belief.

FINDINGS

The MMIC construct encompasses many of the known barriers and enablers to integrating care while also providing a comprehensive, theory-based framework of psychological factors that may influence inter-organizational and inter-professional relations. While the existing literature on integration focuses on optimizing structures and processes, the MMIC construct emphasizes the convergence and divergence of stakeholders' knowledge and beliefs, and how these underlying cognitions influence interactions (or lack thereof) across the continuum of care.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

MMIC may help to: explain what differentiates effective from ineffective integration initiatives; determine system readiness to integrate; diagnose integration problems; and develop interventions for enhancing integrative processes and ultimately the delivery of integrated care.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

Global interest and ongoing challenges in integrating care underline the need for research on the mental models that characterize the behaviors of actors within health systems; the proposed framework offers a starting point for applying a cognitive perspective to health systems integration.

Team knowledge research: emerging trends and critical needs

OBJECTIVE

This article provides a systematic review of the team knowledge literature and guidance for further research.

BACKGROUND

Recent research has called attention to the need for the improved study and understanding of team knowledge. Team knowledge refers to the higher level knowledge structures that emerge from the interactions of individual team members.

METHOD

We conducted a systematic review of the team knowledge literature, focusing on empirical work that involves the measurement of team knowledge constructs. For each study, we extracted author degree area, study design type, study setting, participant type, task type, construct type, elicitation method, aggregation method, measurement timeline, and criterion domain.

RESULTS

Our analyses demonstrate that many of the methodological characteristics of team knowledge research can be linked back to the academic training of the primary author and that there are considerable gaps in our knowledge with regard to the relationships between team knowledge constructs, the mediating mechanisms between team knowledge and performance, and relationships with criteria outside of team performance, among others. We also identify categories of team knowledge not yet examined based on an organizing framework derived from a synthesis of the literature.

CONCLUSION

There are clear opportunities for expansion in the study of team knowledge; the science of team knowledge would benefit from a more holistic theoretical approach.

APPLICATION

Human factors researchers are increasingly involved in the study of teams. This review and the resulting organizing framework provide researchers with a summary of team knowledge research over the past 10 years and directions for improving further research.