Teamwork, team performance, and team interfaces: historical precedence and application significance of the research at the USAF Fitts Human Engineering Division

Warfare is a complex activity that requires the coordination and integration of many teams to accomplish directives and strategies. Teamwork required in battle management situations often occurs at command posts and is necessarily bound (or enhanced) by the collaborative information infrastructure in place. This paper provides a historical review of the work at the US Air Force Fitts Human Engineering Division over the last 30 years that has been conducted with the intent of improving team performance and team interfaces. Three distinct eras of research accomplishment are addressed. Discussion of these different eras reveal how research has progressed and matured, as well as how it has significantly influenced various application domains relative to the conduct of warfare operations and the warfighter.