Design Concepts for Distributed Work Systems: An Empirical Investigation Into Distributed Teams in Complex Domains

Abstract

Coordination and collaboration across distributed teams during planning and execution activities present many challenges to organizations and operations, including military command and control. With the increase in spatially and temporally distributed work teams, it is essential to achieve an understanding of how distributed work can be effectively supported. In this paper, we discuss issues surrounding distributed work systems that were gained through a series of investigations, including (a) field studies, (b) structured interviews, (c) critical incident reports, (d) participation in concept experiments, and (e) literature reviews. Characteristics held in common by the domains explored include the following: high cognitive complexity, distribution of the work (and associated responsibilities) among many people, distribution of data and knowledge among many people, uncertainty about how scenarios will actually play out, and geographic and temporal distribution of the participants. The results of these investigations presented in the form of case studies, and design concepts to support distributed work systems are suggested.