consortiums

PROJECT 2

SELECTION AND CLASSIFICATION

Clive J. Fullagar, James Shanteau
Kansas State University

Dwight D. Frink
School of Business Administration,
University of Mississippi

Proposed Grant $142,184

Abstract:
There is an increasing recognition of the importance of interpersonal interaction and contextual aspects of performance, especially in the context of teamwork. This is especially important in the Navy where jobs of increased technological complexity and

decreasing crew sizes entail greater task overload and require more computer-mediated teamwork among sailors who may be physically dislocated. The proposed research intends to investigate several critical but under-researched issues concerning the impact of social and coping skills, personality, and cognitive abilities on individual and team performance in complex work environments.

Specifically, the proposed research addresses the following core issues described in Sailor 21:

· Teams: The Navy’s ability to accomplish its mission is increasingly dependent on the effective utilization of teams. The current research examines task complexity and its impact on team performance. The research also will identify what kinds of team process generate the highest levels of satisfaction and team performance. In addition, dimensions of team structure and interactions will be included to assess their relationships with task complexity and team performance.

· Requisite Skills: New skills will be necessary to effectively operate in a more sophisticated technological environment. The current research aims at identifying those non-cognitive personality factors, abilities, and social and coping skills that predict effective team performance in increasingly complex, information-rich, interdependent, and stressful technological environments. Identification of such characteristics has important implications for personnel selection, performance evaluations, and predictions of career success (Sailor 21, p.38).