Hybrid Teams Research Articles

Anthropomorphism in social robotics: empirical results on human–robot interaction in hybrid production workplaces

New forms of artificial intelligence on the one hand and the ubiquitous networking of "everything with everything" on the other hand characterize the fourth industrial revolution. This results in a changed understanding of human---machine interaction, in new models for production, in which man and machine together with virtual agents form hybrid teams. The empirical study "Socializing with robots" aims to gain insight especially into conditions of development and processes of hybrid human---machine teams. In the experiment, human---robot actions and interactions were closely observed in a virtual environment. Robots as partners differed in shape and behavior (reliable or faulty). Participants were instructed to achieve an objective that could only be achieved via close teamwork. This paper unites different aspects from core disciplines of social robotics and psychology contributing to anthropomorphization with the empirical insights of the experiment. It focuses on the psychological effects (e.g. reactions of different personality types) on anthropomorphization and mechanization, taking the inter- and transdisciplinary field of social robotics as a starting point.

The Physics of Teams: Interdependence, Measurable Entropy, and Computational Emotion

Most of the social sciences, including psychology, economics and subjective social network theory, are modeled on the individual, leaving the field not only a-theoretical, but also inapplicable to a physics of hybrid teams, where hybrid refers to arbitrarily combining humans, machines and robots into a team to perform a dedicated mission (e.g., military, business, entertainment) or to solve a targeted problem (e.g., with scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs). As a common social science practice, the ingredient at the heart of the social interaction, interdependence, is statistically removed prior to the replication of social experiments; but, as an analogy, statistically removing social interdependence to better study the individual is like statistically removing quantum effects as a complication to the study of the atom. Further, in applications of Shannon’s information theory to teams, the effects of interdependence are minimized, but even there, interdependence is how classical information is transmitted. Consequently, numerous mistakes are made when applying non-interdependent models to policies, the law and regulations, impeding social welfare by failing to exploit the power of social interdependence. For example, adding redundancy to human teams is thought by subjective social network theorists to improve the efficiency of a network, easily contradicted by our finding that redundancy is strongly associated with corruption in non-free markets. Thus, built atop the individual, most of the social sciences, economics and social network theory have little if anything to contribute to the engineering of hybrid teams. In defense of the social sciences, the mathematical physics of interdependence is elusive, non-intuitive and non-rational. However, by replacing determinism with bistable states, interdependence at the social level mirrors entanglement at the quantum level, suggesting the applicability of quantum tools for social science. We report how our quantum-like models capture some of the essential aspects of interdependence, a tool for the metrics of hybrid teams; as an example, we find additional support for our model of the solution to the open problem of team size. We also report on progress with the theory of computational emotion for hybrid teams, linking it qualitatively to the second law of thermodynamics. We conclude that the science of interdependence

MyFC debuts JAQ Hybrid charger, boosts financing and team

myFC debuts JAQ Hybrid charger, boosts financing and team

Communications in Hybrid Arrangements: Case of Australian Construction Project Teams

Hybrid team arrangements or partially virtual teams are increasingly being utilised as the structure for construction project teams. However, little research has been conducted on the quality of the communications of these teams. To address the identified research gap, this study adopted a sequential mixed-methods approach. In the first phase, a multidisciplinary literature review identified 7 major indicators of the quality of communications. After conducting 17 interviews with construction experts, the study customised these indicators for the construction context, in form of a list that comprised 12 indicators. Based on the indicators in this list, a questionnaire survey was then designed to elicit construction practitioners’ perceptions on changes in the quality of communications in hybrid team arrangements compared to teams that were fully collocated. Data from the 285 completed questionnaires in Australia then underwent confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In the findings, the move to hybrid working arrangements was shown to create changes in 10 of the 12 indicators. The identified list of indicators is a significant contribution to the literature, and provides construction practitioners with guidance in assessing the quality of communications in these teams. The findings also shed light on the primary changes in the quality of communications resulting from the increasing use of hybrid team arrangements. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ee.28.3.13791

The Impact of Perceived Foreign Language Proficiency on Hybrid Team Culture

This study examines the impact of perceived foreign language proficiency on hybrid culture building in multicultural teams. Hybrid culture includes a mutually shared set of norms, communication patterns, problem-solving approaches, and synergistic task coordination that result from the diverse cultural backgrounds of the team members. Language is the main vehicle for communication and plays a major role in social interaction and therefore hybrid culture building. We argue that the level of perceived language proficiency of multicultural team members influences hybrid culture building; consequently, adequate language skills lead not only to an efficient task solution but are also an important factor in creating interpersonal relationships and building a shared culture. Our empirical analysis supports the positive influence of language proficiency in hybrid teams; however, foreign language proficiency is more influential on cognitively oriented areas of multicultural teamwork than on affective ones.

Complex Adaptive Behavior of Hybrid Teams

The challenges in uncertain, dynamic and complex military operation environments exceed the problem-solving capabilities of individuals. Problem-solving has become a team task. These [hybrid] teams, which typically include machine and human elements, utilize autonomy and artificial intelligence to enhance the quality of actionable information and decision-making capabilities in solving complex problems. For this to be effective, shared mental models must be developed by teams. This demands adaptive behavior of team members to establish a common understanding, and its members to respond to the changes in complex dynamic environments.In this paper, we introduce a mathematical formalization of an interaction platform designed to support individuals working in heterogeneous, hybrid teams. The purpose of the platform is to facilitate convergent adaptive behavior and interoperability.Hilbert space is used to provide a mathematical foundation and coherent axiomatic structure. Individual and shared mental models are represented in the form of superposition of vector states in a conceptual space. Hilbert Space allows for the inclusion of phenomena, such as spooky activation, entanglement, or emergence that are representative of complex social dynamics.

Virtuality of hybrid design teams within the construction context: a conceptual model

Construction managers are required to harness the benefits of hybrid design teams in which interactions are increasingly both virtual and face-to-face. In this context, virtuality plays a crucial role in hybrid teams. This has made a comprehensive appreciation of the nature of virtuality very relevant within the construction context. That is because, virtuality is a key determinant within the design and best practices for adopting hybrid design teams within construction organisations. Yet, a review of literature reveals a conspicuous absence of studies on virtuality within construction. To address this, as a first enquiry targeting virtuality in the construction context, the study synthesises the existing literature and encapsulates available knowledge in a conceptual model describing virtuality for hybrid design teams within construction. It is put forth that such a conceptual model will further establish the field, and can provide fertile ground for future empirical studies on hybrid design teams in the construction context.

Safety-Critical Personality Aspects in Human-Machine Teams of Aviation

Abstract Working safely and successfully in highly automated human-machine interfaces of future aviation is not only a matter of performance, but also of personality. This study examines which personality aspects correlate with safety-critical performance in human-machine teams. The research tools HTQ (Hybrid Team Questionnaire) and HINT (Hybrid Interaction Scenario) were combined for a comprehensive exploratory study. The HTQ includes personality scales measuring broad factors of personality (Big Five) as well as more specific scales and was added with objective personality assessments to measure risk taking. The simulation tool HINT simulates relevant processes in future human-machine team interaction in aviation. In a study with 156 applicants for aviation careers, safety-critical relations of some facets of general personality as well as risk taking were found. Especially personality aspects concerning disinhibiting, spontaneous behaviour and sensation seeking show correlations with poorer performance in the HINT simulation.

Digital Transformation of Engineering Education - Empirical Insights from Virtual Worlds and Human-Robot-Collaboration

Cyber-physical systems and “Industry 4.0” will require future engineers to handle big data and complex, multidisciplinary problems as well as to collaborate with machines in “hybrid teams”. As some work spaces will be virtualized or remotely controllable new communication skills and the knowledge of virtual worlds are necessary. Furthermore, working as a team with machines demands not only knowledge of mechanical engineering and machines but also an extended understanding of team working. To meet such challenges future engineers need to acquire new skills and qualification. This task does not only concern engineering students and trainees but also teachers for engineering. Questions about how to prepare for newly needed engineering competencies for the age of Industry 4.0, how to assess them and how to teach and train e.g. human-robot-teams have to be tackled in future engineering education. The paper presents theoretical aspects and empirical results of a series of studies, which were conducted to investigate engineering education in virtual worlds as well as different aspects about team building in hybrid teams.

Recurrent balloon rupture during Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) - a challenge to the Hybrid team

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is at present reserved for patients with severe aortic valve stenosis who are high risk for conventional surgery or surgical access is difficult due to heavily calcified aorta (porcelain aorta). However the calcium spikes at the root could pose a problem during balloon valvuloplasty resulting in rupture of the balloon.

A Statewide Examiniation of Mental Health Courts in Illinois: Program Characteristics and Operations

This study represents the only broad-based, statewide evaluation of mental health courts (MHCs) conducted to date. Data were collected from 2010 to 2013 at each of the nine active MHC programs operating in Illinois at the start of the study. The purpose of the study was to compare and contrast the adjudicatory and supervisory models of each established Illinois MHC program by utilizing a variety of research methodologies. A four-year recidivism analysis of case-level data from three Illinois MHCs was also conducted. Illinois MHCs were largely characterized by the '10 essential elements of an MHC', such as voluntary participation, informed choice and hybrid team approaches to case manage clients. Results of the recidivism analysis suggest that MHCs compare favorably to other types of probation. Overall, findings revealed that Illinois MHCs are delivering services effectively and efficiently in a well-coordinated, client-centered team approach. Differences found among the MHCs are not evidence of significant variance from the model, and instead represent responsiveness to the unique culture of the court, the niche-filling character of the program, the expectations of the program stakeholders and the nature and extent of the local service environment.

Cloud Computing: SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, Virtualization, Business Models, Mobile, Security and More

Cloud computing is changing the way businesses and users interact with computers and mobile devices. Gone are the days of expensive data centers, racks of disk drives, and large IT support teams. Today they are replaced with software applications delivered to users on demand from the cloud; with high-capacity, auto-replicated, secure, cloud-based disk storage and databases; with virtualized server and desktop environments; and with cloud- based collaboration tools that support the success of onsite. Remote and hybrid teams.

Trust Evolvement in Hybrid Team Collaboration: A Longitudinal Case Study

Trust is referred to as a key facilitator in team collaboration as it is an important condition for information sharing. In this paper, we investigate factors associated with the establishment of trust in hybrid teams that collaborate virtually as well as face-to-face. Furthermore, we deliver an instrument to understand trust development in teams. We describe exploratory results of the instrument by running experiments with teams of collaborating students in China and Netherlands. Quantitative and qualitative analysis has been used to analyze these data. Finally, in the analysis of the experiments we describe initial patterns of trust development in groups from both individual and group perspectives, in two different cultural contexts.

Personal anchor points in the development of craft/digital research practice

Abstract Jayne Wallace reflects on key people, projects and influences that have enabled her to develop her craft and research practice as a digital jeweller. She describes a selection of projects that relate to the body’s extended agency through jewellery objects and how she attempts to reconcile bringing jewellery and digital technologies together whilst avoiding making gadgets or objects that have very limited lifespans due to our preconceived ideas of what digital devices are. She discusses some of the dynamics of how she works in hybrid teams with technologists to create the work and highlights key philosophical positionings that underpin the development of work into areas concerned with supporting personhood, sense of self and well-being. Central to the work is the aim of making pieces that have positive personal meanings for the people she makes them with and for, and she finally reflects on how co-creativity has become very important in her collaborations with technologists and also with participants in the research process.

Network testing [Series Editorial

In the world of communications, testing is usually applied to verify an implementation, in terms of functionality, conformance, interoperability, performance, robustness, and stability. The implementation under test could be a black-box or white-box device, a piece of software, or scaled up to a system of hardware and software. This September issue received nine submissions in December 2013. We accepted three of them, with two from academia and one from a hybrid team of universities and a startup company. The other six submissions were not included, mainly due to not enough focus or interesting materials on test methodologies and results, or not enough technical contributions. Again, the due dates for this series are June 1 and December 1 each year, with publication in the March and September issues of the following year. The turn-around time of the review process is being kept within three months, usually with two rounds of review. We continue to solicit submissions with a focus on test methodologies and results in communications and networking systems.

Network testing series [Series Editorial

Our last call for this March issue was due on June 1, 2013, and received nine submissions. Among them we accepted three, with one from academia, one from industry, and one from an international hybrid team of universities, industry, and a research agency. We prefer to keep enough industrial flavor to this series. Although the writing quality and rigidness of industrial authors might be lower than the academic authors, we have tried to improve their presentation through the review process. The other six submissions were not included, mainly due to not enough interesting material on test methodologies or results, or not enough focus on testing. Again, the due dates for this series are June 1 and December 1 each year, with publication in the March and September issues of the following year. The turn-around time of the review process is kept within three months. We welcome submissions with a focus on test methodologies, and results on communications and networking systems.

Robust Intelligence (RI) under uncertainty: Mathematical foundations of autonomous hybrid (human-machine-robot) teams, organizations and systems

To develop a theory of Robust Intelligence (RI), we continue to advance our theory of interdependence on the efficient and effective control of systems of autonomous hybrid teams composed of robots, machines and humans working interchangeably. As is the case with humans, we believe that RI is less likely to be achieved by individual computational agents; instead, we propose that a better path to RI is with interdependent agents. However, unlike conventional computational models where agents act independently of neighbors, where, for example, a predator mathematically consumes its prey or not as a function of a random interaction process, dynamic interdependence means that agents dynamically respond to the bi-directional signals of actual or potential presence of other agents (e.g., in states poised to fight or flight), a significant increase over conventional modeling complexity. That this problem is unsolved, mathematically and conceptually, precludes hybrid teams from processing information like human teams operating under challenges and perceived threats. To simplify this problem, we use bistable models for interdependence with a focus on teams and firms as we increase complexity to the level of systems. As part of the problem, in this paper, and countering simplification, sentient multi-agent systems require an aggregation process like data fusion. But the conventional use of fusion for the control of mobile systems hinges on mathematical convergence into patterns, increasing uncertainty whenever divergent information has the potential to process information into knowledge. The goals of our research are: First, to analyze why valid models of interdependence are difficult to build. Second, to reduce uncertainty in decision-making by moderating convergence processes in data aggregation (e.g., fusion) with differential clustering between alternative (orthogonal) views that check convergence processes and promote information processing (e.g., second opinions from independent physicians; prosecutor-defense attorneys; Republicans-Democrats in Congress; opposed scientists, like Bohr-Einstein). Third, in line with our theoretical expectations, we plan to lay the groundwork for agent-based systems to model the stability from the cooperative contexts associated with teams, and the instability from the competitive contexts associated with multiple teams or firms that constitute systems. Our result will be a new theory of interdependence; a new model of data aggregation; and new agent-based models of interdependence.

Abstract 281: First successful implementation of Crew Resource Management techniques adapted form the aviation industry to an Argentine Hospital

Introduction: Medical errors are a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitals worldwide. Poor teamwork and communication skills rather than lack of technical knowledge have been identified as a common factor in numerous studies. Objective: To promote a safer medical practice through the adoption of Crew Resource Management (CRM) procedures directly adapted from the aviation industry for the first time in Argentina. Methods: Starting in 2009 we organized a hybrid team of two physicians/amateur aviators and two expert airline pilots with a significant background on safety analysis and CRM training . The setting for the initial experience was a teaching hospital with high volume cardiovascular and organ transplantation departments. CRM training has been offered at least once a year in a non compulsory manner to the entire spectrum of healthcare personnel, including medical and nursing students. Courses are structured in two day sessions divided in several chapters and workshops: Introduction, statistics, leadership, communication skills, and avoidance of risky behaviors. Slides, full text articles and reports are available for permanent consultation by personnel along with discussion forums at the Moodle based site of the program. Results: Satisfaction levels among attendees has consistently averaged 92%. Following training, briefings and debriefings have been implemented as standard procedures along with checklists both at Intensive Care, Operating Rooms and General Ward. No wrong side or wrong patient interventions have been reported over 3 years, while in 1/9500 surgical procedures a misidentification of a patient occurred with successful detection at the second crossed check on admission to the OR. Overdosing was reported in 1 every 4960 admissions, none fatal or disabling. Conclusions: Choosing a hybrid team of physicians and airline pilots rather than physicians or nurses alone as facilitators was a key factor to spark interest in teamwork factors and to avoid fear of punishment following reports. Despite cultural differences, CRM can be as feasible and successful in a Latin American hospital environment as previously shown in several centers in the United States.

Path to “Stardom” in Globally Distributed Hybrid Teams: An Examination of a Knowledge-Centered Perspective using Social Network Analysis

Although distributed teams have been researched extensively in information systems and decision science disciplines, a review of the literature suggests that the dominant focus has been on understanding the factors affecting performance at the team level. There has however been an increasing recognition that specific individuals within such teams are often critical to the team's performance. Consequently, existing knowledge about such teams may be enhanced by examining the factors that affect the performance of individual team members. This study attempts to address this need by identifying individuals who emerge as “stars” in globally distributed teams involved in knowledge work such as information systems development (ISD). Specifically, the study takes a knowledge-centered view in explaining which factors lead to “stardom” in such teams. Further, it adopts a social network approach consistent with the core principles of structural/relational analysis in developing and empirically validating the research model. Data from U.S.–Scandinavia self-managed “hybrid” teams engaged in systems development were used to deductively test the proposed model. The overall study has several implications for group decision making: (i) the study focuses on stars within distributed teams, who play an important role in shaping group decision making, and emerge as a result of a negotiated/consensual decision making within egalitarian teams; (ii) an examination of emergent stars from the team members’ point of view reflects the collective acceptance and support dimension decision-making contexts identified in prior literature; (iii) finally, the study suggests that the social network analysis technique using relational data can be a tool for a democratic decision-making technique within groups.

Best Practices: An Emerging Best Practice Model for Perinatal Depression Care

Best Practices: An Emerging Best Practice Model for Perinatal Depression Care