Teamwork in U.S. Railroad Operations. A Conference. Transportation Research Circular E-C159

摘要

The Conference was held at the National Academies' Beckman Conference Center in Irvine, California, on April 23-24, 2009. The Conference was convened to explore the subject of how modern teaming strategies might assist in improving operational safety in the often dangerous environment of the U.S. railroad system. The goals were to better understand the challenges involved in improving teamwork, to look at various models that could help promote teamwork, and to examine new approaches that may be utilized. Three internationally recognized experts in the area of teamwork and industry and government stakeholders came together to discuss the issues surrounding teamwork and to discuss areas for improving safety in railroad operations. This Circular provides details of the information presented and the discussions among the participants. The speakers presented the latest research and practices regarding team functioning and safety implications, and each presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session. The presentations addressed the general themes of teamwork effectiveness, teamwork communication, and leadership. Subsequent to these presentations, breakout discussions were held to further develop the themes as they might apply to railroad operations. Background papers were subsequently provided by the speakers to be included in this Circular. Summaries of the papers, along with the papers themselves, and the presentations are found in the body of this Circular. A detailed discussion of the breakout sessions is included later in the Circular. The Conference Agenda is available in Appendix A.