2003 IMTA Proceedings - International Military Testing Association

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CRITICAL TEAMWORK COMPETENCIES
Team training refers to a set of instructional strategies that apply well-tested tools (e.g.,
simulation, lectures, behavioral models) to improve the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are
required for effective team performance. Unfortunately, the published literature on teamwork
competencies contains numerous inconsistencies in both the competency labels and their
associated definitions. In this section, we describe recent efforts to clarify this body of research,
and the implications of this work for improving the team training effectiveness.
Team Knowledge Competencies
Team knowledge competencies are defined as facts, principles, and concepts that help
team members form appropriate interaction strategies, coordinate with one another, and achieve
maximum team performance. For example, to function effectively the team members must know
what team skills are required, when particular team behaviors are appropriate, and how these
skills should be utilized. The team members must also be familiar with the team’s mission, and
should understand one another’s roles in achieving that mission (Cannon-Bowers et al., 1995).
Team Skill Competencies
Team skill competencies are defined as the learned capacity to interact with one another
in pursuit of a common goal. Unlike knowledge competencies, which involve the mastery of
factual knowledge, team skill competencies involve the application of knowledge to perform
specific behaviors. Recent research suggests that team skill competencies can be classified into
eight major categories: adaptability, situation awareness, performance monitoring/feedback,
leadership, interpersonal relations, coordination, communication, and decision-making.
Moreover, several research studies have shown that these skills are directly related to team
performance (cf. Salas et al., 1995).
Team Attitude Competencies
Team attitude competencies are defined as internal states that influence the team
members’ decisions to act in a particular way. Previous research suggests that team attitudes can
have a significant effect on how teamwork skills are actually put into practice. For example,
Driskell and Salas (1992) reported that collectively-oriented individuals performed significantly
better than individually-oriented team members, because collectively-oriented individuals tended
to take advantage of the benefits offered by teamwork.
Factors That Influence Team Competency Requirements
Tannenbaum and his colleagues suggests that team performance cannot be understood
independently of the team’s organizational, work, and task environment (Tannenbaum, Beard, &
Salas, 1992). The authors define “organizational characteristics” – such as reward systems,
policies, supervisory control, and resources – as features that define the task and, by extension,
the competencies that are required to perform that task. The authors define “work
characteristics” as structural and normative variables – such as formal rank or leadership
hierarchies, and the extent to which team members are geographically dispersed – that determine
how tasks are assigned and shared by various team members. Finally, the authors define “task
45 th Annual Conference of the International Military Testing Association
Pensacola, Florida, 3-6 November 2003