Joan R. Rentsch

Team knowledge building requires teams to discuss all available pertinent task information. However, teams tend to extract information ineffectively due to impediments including the sampling advantage of common information and differential schema structures among team members. In addition, distributed teams have difficulty building knowledge due to constraints associated with low-bandwidth computer-mediated communication. Therefore, we tested a team training strategy aimed at facilitating team knowledge building in distributed teams. Data were collected from 40 teams of three distributed members. Teams were assigned to a training or control condition, and they completed a realistic problem-solving task. Training condition teams were trained to build knowledge by creating a knowledge object integrated with schema-enriched communication behaviors in text chat. Control condition teams communicated using chat only and received no training. Results indicated trained teams, relative to untrained teams, shared more unique information, transferred more knowledge, developed higher cognitive congruence, and produced higher quality solutions.

A set of testable propositions based on the collaboration and meaning analysis process (C-MAP) are presented. The C-MAP involves the conscious externalisation of knowledge to support knowledge transfer, the development of innovated knowledge and the development of cognitive similarity in intense problem solving teams (Rentsch, J.R., Delise, L.A., and Hutchison, S., 2008a Rentsch, JR , Delise, LA and Hutchison, S . 2008a. “Transferring meaning and developing cognitive similarity in decision making teams: collaboration and meaning analysis process”. In Macrocognition in teams, Edited by: Letsky, MP . 127–142. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing. [Google Scholar] . Transferring meaning and developing cognitive similarity in decision making teams: collaboration and meaning analysis process. In: M.P. Letsky, et al., eds. Macrocognition in teams. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 127–142). Innovated knowledge is collaboratively created knowledge not initially possessed by the team when it was composed. Intense problem solving teams are distributed teams in which each member possesses unique expert information that must be integrated to achieve a viable solution. The teams work in difficult contexts and their decisions have high risk implications. The cognitive processes included in the C-MAP may be regarded as macrocognitive processes (e.g. Klein, G., et al., 2003 Klein, G., et al., 2003. Macrocognition. IEEE Intelligent Systems, May/June, 81–85. [Google Scholar] . Macrocognition. IEEE Intelligent Systems, May/June, 81–85; Letsky, M.P., et al., 2007 Letsky, M.P., et al., 2007. Macrocognition in complex team problem solving. In: 12th international command and control research and technology symposium (12th ICCRTS), Newport, RI, June 2007. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Defense Command and Control Research Program. [Google Scholar] . Macrocognition in complex team problem solving. In: 12th international command and control research and technology symposium (12th ICCRTS), Newport, RI, June 2007. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Defense Command and Control Research Program). The role of knowledge objects and schema-enriched communication as two mechanisms for externalising cognition to promote innovated knowledge are described.

A meta‐analysis was conducted to determine relationships between team training and team effectiveness. Results from the 21 studies provided evidence that training is positively related to team effectiveness and effectiveness in five outcome categories: affective, cognitive, subjective task‐based skill, objective task‐based skill, and teamwork skill.

Researchers in sport psychology have focused little attention on the role of cognition in teams. However, in industrial/organizational psychology cognitive variables in work teams have been shown to be related to team performance and to psychological outcomes such as team viability. One purpose of the present article was to describe one conceptualization of cognition in teams, team member schema similarity (TMSS), and to highlight several issues in studying team member schemata. A second purpose was to explore how TMSS may be applied to the study of sport teams. Various forms and contents of team member schema similarity are described