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AN EVALUATION OF GENERIC TEAMWORK SKILLS TRAINING WITH ACTION TEAMS: EFFECTS ON COGNITIVE AND SKILL‐BASED OUTCOMES
Author(s) -
ELLIS ALEKSANDER P.J.,
BELL BRADFORD S.,
PLOYHART ROBERT E.,
HOLLENBECK JOHN R.,
ILGEN DANIEL R.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
personnel psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.076
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1744-6570
pISSN - 0031-5826
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-6570.2005.00617.x
Subject(s) - teamwork , psychology , interdependence , cognition , task (project management) , team effectiveness , action (physics) , cognitive skill , knowledge management , procedural knowledge , team composition , task analysis , applied psychology , social psychology , computer science , body of knowledge , engineering , management , physics , systems engineering , quantum mechanics , neuroscience , political science , law , economics
This study evaluated the utility of generic teamwork skills training for enhancing the effectiveness of action teams. Results from 65 4‐person action teams working on an interdependent command and control simulator revealed that generic teamwork skills training had a significant and positive impact on both cognitive and skill‐based outcomes. Trained team members evidenced higher levels of declarative knowledge regarding teamwork competencies and demonstrated greater proficiency in the areas of planning and task coordination, collaborative problem‐solving, and communication. Furthermore, results indicated that cognitive and skill based outcomes were interrelated. Team members' declarative knowledge regarding teamwork competencies positively affected planning and task coordination, collaborative problem solving, and communication skills. However, we found that the effects of declarative knowledge differed across team members depending on their roles and responsibilities. The team benefited the most from the knowledge held by the team member who occupied the most critical position in the workflow. Implications of these findings for future research and practice are discussed.