ABSTRACT
A team may be defined as 'a distinguishable set of two or more people who interact dynamically, interdependently, and adaptively toward a common and valued goal/mission/objective, who have each been assigned specific roles or functions to perform, and who have a limited life span or membership' (Salas et ai, 1992). The crews of mobile weapon systems conform to this definition of a team. Although each member of the team must be trained in 'taskwork' (the technical skills required to perform the task), there is evidence that teamwork must also be addressed, since it has an important influence on effectiveness. Teamwork has been defined as 'the way team members interact with each other to achieve team goals and adapt to varying circumstances and situations' (West, 1994). An important element of teamwork is the development of 'shared mental models' (CannonBowers et ai, 1993; Pascual et ai, 1998; McGahan et ai, 1998), common understandings held by team members about each other and about the tasks that they perform.
