Team Communication and Performance during Sustained Working Conditions

• Main Authors: Harville, Donald L, Lopez, Nadia, Elliott, Linda R, Barnes, Christopher
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration and Management; AEDGE(AGENT ENABLED DECISION GROUP ENVIRONMENT); AIR FORCE PERSONNEL; BATTLE MANAGEMENT; COMBAT SIMULATION; COMMAND CONTROL COMMUNICATIONS; Command, Control and Communications Systems; COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS; COOPERATION; COORDINATION; DECISION MAKING; ENCOURAGEMENT; FATIGUE(PHYSIOLOGY); INFORMATION EXCHANGE; INFORMATION PROCESSING; MEASUREMENT; PE62202F; PERFORMANCE(HUMAN); PROBLEM SOLVING; Psychology; REACTION TIME; RESPONSE TIME; SLEEP DEPRIVATION; SLEEP LOSS; Sociology and Law; Stress Physiology; SUSTAINED OPERATIONS; TEAM COMMUNICATIONS; TEAM PERFORMANCE; TEAMS(PERSONNEL); WUAFRL7757P904

The effects of prolonged working conditions on individual performance are well documented. In addition, military field studies, sports team studies, and field expeditions have been conducted in a sustained context. However, there have been few controlled, experimental studies on the effects of fatigue on complex decision making or team performance. The authors initiated a program of research to systematically investigate the effects of fatigue on measurable aspects of team communication, coordination, decision making, problem-solving, and performance. The results showed that as fatigue increased, the teams' performance decreased on both major outcomes measured, and 10 of the 12 types of verbal communication differed in the predicted direction. Prepared in collaboration with the Army Research Laboratory, USAIC-HRED Field Element, Fort Benning, GA and Michigan State University, Graduate School of Management, East Lansing, MI. The original document contains color images.