Sequence of Team Communication

In this chapter, we examine communication sequences to identify different types of communication behaviors that may be most advantageous to teams. Specifically, we investigate how teams converse about our topics of interest by classifying both the topic (e.g., tactical strategy, mission analysis) and purpose (e.g., clarify, suggest, inform) of each exchanged message. We examine the sequential order in which these messages are transmitted and determine if any differences in sequence are attributable to the conditions under which the team is working or their performance on the assigned task. This investigation is accomplished using hierarchical cluster analysis and dendrograms that facilitate visualizing the results. Capturing how team communication unfolds at this level of detail highlights the types of messages or ordering of messages that may facilitate or impede team progress, thereby offering guidance about why seemingly similar teams often have varying performance.