Improving Team Performance and Shared Knowledge of Teams Who Communicate via Datalink Technology

This study investigates whether prompting information exchange among team members before actual task execution helps these team members to develop shared knowledge and improve team performance when working in a datalink environment. Thirty-five student teams were assigned to either an experimental or a control condition and performed an abstract air traffic control simulation in which they communicated via datalink. Results showed that prompting information exchange through guided knowledge sharing resulted in more similar team-related mental models and more accurate general knowledge sharing among team members in the experimental group. These team members also showed a stronger performance progress. Guided off-task knowledge sharing thus helps teams in effective teamwork and intensifies the positive effects of datalink technology.