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

Abstract

This master’s thesis is based on a research paper1 aimed to propose a synthetic model of teamwork effectiveness in space and analog environments (SAE). A systematic literature review approach was adopted to examine the state-of-the-art of the teamwork literature in SAE. Thirty-six research papers were reviewed, and the results were organized according to the Input-Mediator-Output-Input (IMOI) framework. 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 outputs such as team performance, team cohesion, and psychological well-being. The extracted connections are described, and a coherent model is proposed. This paper focuses on the SAE teamwork literature from a proven perspective but new angle, proposing an original coherent model for structuring the related variables. It furthers both theory and practice, emphasizing important aspects on which space organizations should additionally concentrate regarding long-duration space exploration.