1) What are some of the possible biases and points of error that may arise in team communication systems? In addition to those cited in the opening of the chapter, what are some other examples of how team communication problems can lead to disaster?

communication biases covered in the opening of the chapter:

- Message Tuning

- Message Distortion

- Saying is believing

- Biased Interpretation

- Perspective-Taking failure

- Transparency Illusion

- Indirect Speech Acts

- Uneven communication

What are some other examples (aside from the listed above)  of how team communication problems can lead to disaster?

2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of a transactive memory system (TMS) in a team? Using the radio-assembly example in Chapter 6 of the Thompson text, what are the effects of TMS on workgroup training?

Radio assembly example-  As an illustration of the effect of a TMS on performance, simulated work groups were asked to assemble AM radios as part of the a training experience.  Training was organized in two ways (1) Individually based training (as is common in many companies) and (2) group training, in which groups of three people worked together.  In the training phase, all individuals and groups received identical information. Groups were not given any instructions in terms of how they should organize themselves.  The only difference was whether people were trained alone or as part of a group.

Exactly one week later, the participants were asked to assemble the radios again.  This was more difficult because no written instructions were provided, as had been the case in the training phase.  In this part of the investigation, everyone was placed into a three-person team given the parts of the radio, and asked to assemble it from memory.  This meant that some of the groups were composed of people who had trained individually and others of those who had trained with a team.  Thus any difference in performance between the two types of groups would be attributable to the differences in training.

Not surprisingly, the groups that had trained together performed dramatically better.  They were more likely to complete the assembly and did so with fewer errors.  The intact groups performed better than did the ad hoc groups because they were able to tap into the TMS that had spontaneously developed during training.

A TMS and an emphasis on team training are most relevant to tactical teams (ie teams that carry out a procedure) as opposed to creative or problem-solving teams.  Thus, if a team is assembling radio parts, operating machinery in a coal mine, flying a jetliner, or performing heart surgery, it helps a lot for the members to have trained together on the job.  However, as we saw in the last chapter, teams do more than perform routinized procedures; sometimes teams need to solve problems or create things.