Team Flow Among Firefighters: Associations with Collective Orientation, Teamwork-Related Stressors, and Resources

Abstract

Flow is often experienced under stress-related conditions and associated with improved performance and well-being. Different workplace stressors and resources demonstrably affect individual flow. Considering the team level, our study explores the associations between typical teamwork-related stressors and resources and team flow. Firefighters work under extremely challenging conditions and rely on functioning teamwork processes, thereby constituting a promising sample for examining team flow and its associated factors. An online questionnaire was implemented in Germany examining frequency of team flow, experienced teamwork-related stressors, and resources in firefighting missions. Collective orientation was also measured as a factor potentially associated with team flow. The final sample consisted of 317 experienced firefighters. Multiple regression analyses showed that the more often firefighters experienced stressors of teamwork (e.g., problems regarding leadership or lacking shared mental models) the less often they experienced team flow. Conversely, the experience of resources of teamwork (e.g., good communication and shared mental models) was associated with more frequent team flow. Collective orientation was positively associated with team flow. As team competencies are trainable, the study offers concrete approaches for interventions strengthening teamwork and team flow, thereby benefitting firefighters but also teams in other professions.