Information Distribution in Complex Systems to Improve Team Performance

摘要

This study investigates the distribution of information sources within a team's environment. Specifically, this study hypothesizes that providing task specific information to individual team members will improve coordination and decision-making, and therefore team performance, at time- critical tasks. Major themes addressed in this research include teams and team processes, mental models, team mental models, work domain analysis, and hierarchical task analysis. Furthermore, the theory behind the development of complementary models is introduced. The findings are presented of two experiments examining the effects of imposing different information distribution strategies that range from no complementariness to full complementariness of information. Team communication, team and individual task performance, workload, and timeliness and effectiveness of team decision making were assessed in nominal and off-nominal conditions. The first experiment used a fixed base automobile-driving simulator, while the second experiment used a UH-60 Black Hawk full motion helicopter flight simulator. The results of these experiments provide empirical evidence that providing task relevant information to individual team members in a time-critical environment, while limiting their access to non-relevant information, improves individual and team performance. The findings of this research provide new insights into how the distribution of information among team members effects the development of mental models and information requirements, team and individual performance, and communications, and highlight several directions for future research.