Team Organization and Monitoring Performance

Monitoring performance of individuals and two-man teams was examined. Two conditions of team organization were tested: Division of labor and redundancy. The task consisted of detecting critical signals randomly presented–spacially and sequentially–on one of four 1-in. (2.54-cm) circular milk-glass display windows. Response times were recorded in 0.1 second intervals. Team performance was found to be superior to individual performance. The average detection times for the two team conditions were not significantly different. Long detection times were observed under the division of labor team organization but not under the redundancy team organization. Consequently, redundancy was considered to be the more effective team organization for the monitoring task used in this study. The data suggest that the team members in a redundancy organization should work in the presence of each other and not in separated work compartments.