Fantastic teams and where to find them: understanding team processes in space and analog environments through the IMOI framework

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to propose a model of teamwork effectiveness in space and analog environments (SAE). Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was conducted to examine the state-of-the-art of teamwork literature in SAE. A total of 37 research papers were reviewed and the results were organized according to the input-mediator-output-input (IMOI) framework. Findings Based on 37 empirical research papers, the findings suggest that the teams working in SAE are challenged with contextual (e.g. time, isolation and confinement), collective (e.g. autonomy, culture) and individual (e.g. personality) attributes. These are inputs to team processes (e.g. interpersonal processes; communication) and emergent states (e.g. climate; emotions), which mediate team (e.g. performance; cohesion) and individual (e.g. psychological well-being) outputs. Research limitations/implications Given the review nature of the manuscript, the final proposed model depicting empirical findings lacks validation evidence when considered in its entirety, although pieces have been validated. Additionally, the focus only on papers that included team-level empirical SAE research (excluding individual-level studies), undoubtedly contributed to a smaller number of papers extracted. Originality/value This paper integrates empirical findings regarding the factors impacting team performance in SAE into a proven framework (IMOI). This integration can provide a common baseline, using a widely accepted methodology and framework, that serves to guide future research, identify gaps and guide practice.