Virtual Teams@Work by Jose J. Sampaio :: SSRN

José J. M. Sampaio

Technical University of Lisbon - SOCIUS - Organisations and Socio-Economic Research Centre - Economics and Mangement School


September 17, 2010


Abstract:
Cognitive task automation may lead to overtrust, complacency and loss of the necessary work environment situation awareness. This is a major constraint in complex work organizations teamwork, ending up into an operational gap, between system development and its understanding and usability, by operators.

The results of author’s research on operational decision processes and occupational competences, applied to the air traffic control operational reality show there is a dimension to be followed in human/machine integration, which stands beyond interface design, and calls for a deeper human comprehension of technological agent’s structure and functionalities, which will, ultimately, require the development of an operational cognitive framework, where work processes and technological behaviour are integrated in professional competences, as he two faces of the same coin.

Present paper discusses these results in a virtual team’s conceptualisation framework , as the support of the author current research (Virtualteams@work. Assessing Human and Technological Dimensions in Virtual Team's Operational Competencies, Research supported by the Portuguese Science and Technology Agency of Portuguese Science and Technology Ministry).

Number of Pages in PDF File: 17

Keywords: automation, situation awareness, work organization, teamwork, decision process, occupational competences, human/machine interface

JEL Classifications: D8, D81, C9, C92, L8, L86, J2, J20

Working Paper Series
Virtual Teams@Work by Jose J. Sampaio :: SSRN