Phenotypes of Teamwork – an Exploratory Study of Tower Controller Teams

Abstract

Background: In complex human-machine-systems often teams of operators perform the tasks. Therefore, the quality of their teamwork processes is a factor that influences the performance of the overall system. There are theoretical models that predict teamwork processes which are critical for good team performance. The work presented in this paper researches how these generic processes become apparent in the domain of air traffic tower control. A scenario was used where operators control two airports simultaneously, i.e. they have to guarantee a safe flow of traffic. Method: An exploratory study was conducted to identify teamwork processes within a team of two tower controllers. Video data from a high fidelity simulation were analyzed and combined with radio communication data. Cognitive demanding situations were analyzed and compared to identical situations worked by a single operator. Results: Teamwork processes within the tower controller teams did not become apparent in explicit verbal communication but rather within the timing of activities. All teams showed a distinct pattern of activity defined as “flexible task assignment” within this paper. This behavior allowed the teams to respond to new aircraft with less delay, compared to the single controller working the same situation. Outlook: Further examples of “real-world” teamwork behaviors should be collected to understand the influence of the specific domain on the phenotype of teamwork processes. These behaviors should be mapped to underlying cognitive processes, like team situation awareness. This knowledge might not only be of academic interest but also a helpful basis for other research field of human factors, like enabling automation to serve as a team partner.