Using interbrain synchrony to study teamwork: A systematic review and meta-analysis

It has been proposed that interbrain synchrony (IBS) may help to elucidate the neural mechanisms underpinning teamwork. As hyperscanning studies have provided abundant findings on IBS in team environments, the current review aims to synthesize the findings of hyperscanning studies in a way that is relevant to the teamwork research. A systematic review was conducted. Included studies were classified according to the IPO (i.e. input, process, output) model of teamwork. Three multi-level meta-analyses were performed to quantify the associations between IBS and the three IPO variables. The methodology followed PRISMA guidelines and the protocol was pre-registered (https://osf.io/7h8sa/). Of the 229 studies, 41 were included, representing 1326 teams. The three meta-analyses found statistically significant positive effects, indicating a positive association between IBS and the three IPO teamwork variables. This study provides evidence that IBS is a relevant measure of the teamwork process and argues for the continued use of IBS to study teamwork.

Human-AI teaming: leveraging transactive memory and speaking up for enhanced team effectiveness

In this prospective observational study, we investigate the role of transactive memory and speaking up in human-AI teams comprising 180 intensive care (ICU) physicians and nurses working with AI in a simulated clinical environment. Our findings indicate that interactions with AI agents differ significantly from human interactions, as accessing information from AI agents is positively linked to a team's ability to generate novel hypotheses and demonstrate speaking-up behavior, but only in higher-performing teams. Conversely, accessing information from human team members is negatively associated with these aspects, regardless of team performance. This study is a valuable contribution to the expanding field of research on human-AI teams and team science in general, as it emphasizes the necessity of incorporating AI agents as knowledge sources in a team's transactive memory system, as well as highlighting their role as catalysts for speaking up. Practical implications include suggestions for the design of future AI systems and human-AI team training in healthcare and beyond.

Measuring teamwork for training in healthcare using eye tracking and pose estimation

Teamwork is critical for safe patient care. Healthcare teams typically train teamwork in simulated clinical situations, which require the ability to measure teamwork via behavior observation. However, the required observations are prone to human biases and include significant cognitive load even for trained instructors. In this observational study we explored how eye tracking and pose estimation as two minimal invasive video-based technologies may measure teamwork during simulation-based teamwork training in healthcare. Mobile eye tracking, measuring where participants look, and multi-person pose estimation, measuring 3D human body and joint position, were used to record 64 third-year medical students who completed a simulated handover case in teams of four. On one hand, we processed the recorded data into the eye contact metric, based on eye tracking and relevant for situational awareness and communication patterns. On the other hand, the distance to patient metric was processed, based on multi-person pose estimation and relevant for team positioning and coordination. After successful data recording, we successfully processed the raw videos to specific teamwork metrics. The average eye contact time was 6.46 s [min 0 s - max 28.01 s], while the average distance to the patient resulted in 1.01 m [min 0.32 m - max 1.6 m]. Both metrics varied significantly between teams and simulated roles of participants (p < 0.001). With the objective, continuous, and reliable metrics we created visualizations illustrating the teams' interactions. Future research is necessary to generalize our findings and how they may complement existing methods, support instructors, and contribute to the quality of teamwork training in healthcare.

When Groups of Different Sizes Collide: Effects of Targeted Verbal Aggression on Intragroup Functioning

When competing for scarce resources, groups can behave aggressively toward one another. Realistic conflict theory suggests that intergroup hostility internally ties groups together, thus improving intragroup functioning. In contrast, conflict spillover theory suggests that aggressive behaviors between groups can permeate to the intragroup level and thus worsen intragroup functioning. We reconcile these two opposite perspectives by introducing the relative group size as a moderator that determines when and how targeted verbal aggression from one group harms or improves intragroup functioning in the targeted group. We tested our hypotheses using a sample of in-situ observations of transcribed plenary discussions in the German national parliament and compared intergroup targeted verbal aggression by distinguishing targeted verbal aggression from two social groups (i.e., a new populist smaller party vs. a larger group of veteran parliament members). We measured targeted verbal aggression as a form of hostile intergroup behavior from each social group using computerized text analyses. We analyzed intragroup functioning using a measure of verbal mimicry. Our results show support for our hypotheses. We discuss theoretical and practical implications for the verbal aggression and intergroup relations literature.

Westerink JHD, Rispens S. A Review of Using Wearable Technology to Assess Team Functioning and Performance

Wearable technology enables collecting continuous in situ data from multiple people in various modalities, which can enhance team research and support, as the dynamic coupling of signals between interacting individuals (i.e., team coordination dynamics) is believed to reflect underlying processes and states of team functioning and performance. We conducted a systematic review on existing literature to evaluate the prospective use of wearable technology in research and practice. Using the IMOI framework as an organizing tool, our review revealed considerable support linking team coordination dynamics in different modalities to team functioning and performance, but also explicated the field’s nascent status.

Cognitive Differences and the Coding Analysis of the Interaction Behavior Patterns in the Innovation Team

Despite a wealth of research on the interaction behavior patterns among team members from different angles, few studies focus on the combination of innovation management and innovation team. With the "Input-Process-Output" theoretical framework, this study takes the coding analysis to explore the differences in the interaction behavior patterns of members caused by the cognitive differences in the higher and lower innovative-performing teams. An innovation experiment was conducted in 12 innovation teams based on an experimental paradigm proposed for team innovation tasks. Subsequently, team members' 1,754 behaviors were coded to analyze the similarities and differences in the interaction behavior patterns between higher and lower innovative-performing teams with lag sequential analysis. The results revealed that both higher and lower innovative-performing teams showed some same interaction behavior patterns. More specifically, the probability of idea facilitation behaviors being followed by team spirit facilitation behaviors was significantly higher than expected, while the probability of idea facilitation behaviors recurring was significantly lower than expected. However, in lower innovative-performing teams, there were some special interaction behavior patterns, such as "the probability of idea facilitation behaviors being followed by neutral interaction or idea inhibition behaviors was significantly lower than expected." These phenomena may reflect some realistic situations in our life, such as "One echoes the other," "Sitting on the sidelines" and "A gentleman is ready to die for his bosom friends" in the members' interaction after cognitive differences happen. This paper provides opinions and suggestions for the research on the interaction behavior observation and coding analysis among members of innovation teams, as well as theoretical contributions to the research on the behavior observation of innovation teams.

50 Years of Sports Teams in Work Teams Research: Missed Opportunities and New Directions for Studying Team Processes

For the last 50 years, sports team samples have played a significant role in mainstream management literature. Prior research has analyzed different kinds of data, such as archival, survey-based, and interviews/observations, from a wide range of sports teams. These teams differ greatly in terms of contexts (i.e., recreational to intercollegiate to professional) and types of interdependence. We explore this body of work and focus on what is germane for the work teams literature as we examine 255 relevant articles spanning the years 1972–2021 in major management, organizational behavior (OB), human resource management (HRM), and strategy journals. Using the input-process-outcome model in our coding process, we identify the relative absence of the study of team processes. We develop a conceptual framework linking team interdependence, team processes, and the initiation and maintenance of these processes. This framework is intended to help guide future research on team processes in the context of sports team samples and enhance the generalizability of this research to the work teams domain. Additionally, we identify an agenda for future research using sports team samples for work groups/teams researchers. Overall, we intend to spur thoughtful and creative future research in the work groups/teams area using the rich field environment that sports teams present.

The Influence of Intrusions on Team Interaction: An Explorative Field Study

Despite their prevalence in daily teamwork, little is known about the influence of intrusions on teams. Therefore, the effect of intrusions on team interaction was investigated, focusing on relational communication. Three different theoretical perspectives regarding team interaction changes in response to a meeting intrusion are discussed. These perspectives were mapped onto fine-grained behavioral data from twelve teams ( N = 4,627 sense units) by means of lag sequential analysis. Teams’ use of relational communication changed in several ways in response to the intrusion. While these changes fit best with one perspective (task-focused), several results also align with other perspectives.

A Conceptual Framework of How Meeting Mindsets Shape and Are Shaped by Leader–Follower Interactions in Meetings

In this conceptual paper, we define a person's meeting mindset as the individual belief that meetings represent opportunities to realize goals falling into one of three categories: personal, relational, and collective. We propose that in alignment with their respective meeting mindsets, managers use specific leadership claiming behaviors in team meetings and express these behaviors in alignment with the meeting setting (virtual or face-to-face) and their prior experiences with their employees. Employees’ responses, however, are also influenced by their meeting mindsets, the meeting setting, and prior experiences with their managers. The interplay between managers’ leadership claiming behavior and their employees’ responses shapes leader–follower relations. Embedded in the team context, the emerging leader–follower relations impact the meaning of meetings. We outline match/mismatch combinations of manager–employee meeting mindsets and discuss the influence that a manager and employee can have on each other's meeting mindset through their behavior in a meeting. Plain Language Summary Have you ever had the experience of entering a team meeting and quickly realizing that your idea of how the meeting conversation should be approached did not align with your boss's understanding of the meeting purpose? This is indeed a common experience in meetings between managers and their employees. While we understand much about the communication dynamics that occur in meetings, we know less about what motivates people to communicate in certain ways in meetings. In this conceptual paper, we classify people's understanding of meetings as being driven by one of three purposes: [1] to strategically position and promote themselves (which reflects a personal meeting mindset), [2] to shape collaborations and to ensure reciprocation (which reflects a relational meeting mindset), or [3] to strengthen the team identity and increase the willingness to go the extra mile for the team (which reflects a collective meeting mindset). Meeting mindsets shape how people enact their leader or follower role in meetings—that is, how a manager exhibits leadership and how employees react. However, managers’ and employees’ meeting mindsets may not necessarily match, which can trigger tensions and may ultimately change the way in which managers or employees define the meaning of meetings. Our research helps managers to comprehend the reasoning behind their own and other people's meeting behavior and may promote reflection on one's leadership approach, particularly in a team meeting context. It can also help employees to grasp the power they can have in terms of actively shaping their managers’ meeting mindsets.

Improving high lean team performance through aligned behaviour-value patterns and coactive vicarious learning-by-doing

Purpose

Why are some lean workfloor teams able to improve their already high performance, over time, and others not? By studying teams' and leaders' behaviour-value patterns, this abductive field study uncovers a dynamic capability at the team level.

Design/methodology/approach

Various methods were employed over three consecutive years to thoroughly examine five initially high-performing lean workfloor teams, including their leaders. These methods encompassed micro-behavioural coding of 59 h of film footage, surveys, individual and group interviews, participant observation and archival data, involving objective and perceptual team-performance indicators. Two of the five teams continued to improve and perform highly.

Findings

Continuously improving high lean team performance is found to be associated with (1) team behaviours such as frequent performance monitoring, information sharing, peer support and process improvement; (2) team leaders who balance, over time, task- and relations-oriented behaviours; (3) higher-level leaders who keep offering the team face-to-face support, strategic clarity and tangible resources; (4) these three actors' endorsement of self-transcendence and openness-to-change work values and alignment, over time, with their behaviours; and (5) coactive vicarious learning-by-doing as a “stable collective activity pattern” among team, team leader, and higher-level leadership.

Originality/value

Since lean has been undertheorised, the authors invoked insights from organisational behaviour and management theories, in combination with various fine- and coarse-grained data, over time. The authors uncovered actors' behaviour-value patterns and a collective learning-by-doing pattern that may explain continuous lean team performance improvement. Four theory-enriching propositions were developed and visualised in a refined model which may already benefit lean practitioners.

Did the COVID-19 Lock-Down Make Us Better at Working in Virtual Teams?

The COVID-19 pandemic was a key event forcing an increase in virtual work. Drawing on event system theory, we examined whether virtual teams showed enhanced processes in later stages of the pandemic compared to the early stages of the pandemic. We collected data from 54 virtual teams ( N = 152 individuals) who worked on a 30-minute task. We measured team processes and performance. Virtual teams during the post-transition phase (June–August 2020) showed better levels of team action processes and conflict management compared to teams working in the immediate transition phase (March–May 2020), indicative of an adaptation effect.

The challenges of working with “real” teams: Introduction to the second installment

We introduce the next two papers in our running special section on the challenges studying modern teams—those that may not have identifiable boundaries, stable membership, or members who belong only to that single team. Our perspective is that many of the assumptions about teams themselves are no longer correct, so rather than further exploiting our traditional approaches, the field should explore new or different ways to analyze the team experience. Thus, in these special sections, we present theoretical arguments made based on disciplined imagination and actual experience for why such new approaches are credible. This installment presents two papers that should enrich researchers’ sophistication in their ontological assumptions about teams. They are excellent complements to each other, as both are about questions of meaning and both have clear methodological implications for research design, but one zooms in to the nature of teams and the other zooms out to the nature of knowledge itself.