They are named High Responsibility Teams (HRTs Hagemann, 2011 Hagemann et al., 2011) due to their dynamic and often unpredictable working conditions and demanding work contexts, in which technical faults and slips have severe consequences for human beings and the environment if they are not identified and resolved within the team immediately (Kluge et al., 2009). Teams dealing with complex problems in interdependent work contexts, for example in disaster, crisis or accident management, are called High Responsibility Teams. Start state, intended goal state, and barriers prove complexity, change dynamically over time, and can be partially intransparent” (Funke, 2012, p. Complex problem solving “takes place for reducing the barrier between a given start state and an intended goal state with the help of cognitive activities and behavior. Generally, interdependently working teams of experts deal with complex problems (Fiore et al., 2010), which are characterized by element interactivity/ interconnectedness, dynamic developments, non-transparency and multiple, and/or conflicting goals (Dörner et al., 1983 Brehmer, 1992 Funke, 1995). The results are discussed in relation to previous empirical findings and to learning processes within the team with a focus on feedback strategies.Ĭomplex problems in organizational contexts are seldom solved by individuals. Only collective orientation of team members positively influences team performance in complex environments mediated by action processes such as coordination within the team. Likewise, no relationships were found for cohesion. The results show that no relationships between trust and action processes and team performance exist. Coordination within the team and the resulting team performance were calculated based on a log-file analysis. Two firefighting scenarios had been developed, which takes a maximum of 15 min each. The microworld includes interdependent tasks such as extinguishing forest fires or protecting houses. The study was conducted with the microworld C3Fire, simulating dynamic decision making, and acting in complex situations within a teamwork context.

Before conducting the experiments, participants were divided by median split into two-person teams with either high ( n = 58) or low ( n = 58) collective orientation values. The study focused on factors that influence action processes, like coordination, such as emergent states like collective orientation, cohesion, and trust and that dynamically enable effective teamwork in complex situations. Therefore, results from a controlled team study within complex situations are presented. After introducing an idealized teamwork process model, that complex problem solving teams pass through, and integrating the relevant teamwork skills for interdependently working teams into the model and combining it with the four kinds of team processes (transition, action, interpersonal, and learning processes), the paper demonstrates the importance of fulfilling team process demands for successful complex problem solving within teams. When analyzing complex problem solving in teams, an additional, new dimension has to be considered, as teamwork processes increase the requirements already put on individual team members. Complex problem solving is challenging and a high-level cognitive process for individuals.

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