Getting on the same page : team learning and team cognition in emergency management command-and-control teams

This study explores team learning in a team that needs to perform under high pressure: the on-scene-command team (OSCT). The OSCT team is responsible for the coordination of the multidisciplinary cooperation between different assistance units (fire department, police, medical assistance unit) at the scene of an incident or disaster. Chapter 2 contains a first exploration of team learning in emergency management command-and-control teams on which chapter 3 builds by developing a context specific model for team learning in the OSCT. Chapter 4 presents a validated measure of OSCT team effectiveness. Chapter 5 reports on an empirical study that shows how the combination of the team learning processes co-construction and constructive conflict add to the development of a team situation model of which emergency management processes are executed at the incident scene. This team situation model is beneficial for team effectiveness. Chapter 6 shows that it is important for team effectiveness that this team situation model evolves over time. The results of the research emphasize that team members need to get on the same page and that being critical in a constructive way towards each other__s contributions has an added value.