Rapidly developing technology is breaking down geographic boundaries and issues such as global economic crises, terrorism threats, and environmental disasters are making multinational and multicultural collaboration a necessary reality. More and more of the work being done in today’s global organizations is being completed by teams, not individuals. While diversity in these teams often encourages new perspectives and innovative solutions, differences in cultural viewpoint can also lead to misunderstandings and interaction problems. The RIOT lab is pursuing research to improve relationships and interactions in a variety of collaborative team settings. Ultimately, the goal of our research is to understand and improve work team performance by improving the relationships and interactions within those teams. Current and upcoming projects include:
- A U.S. Army Research Institute grant (contract #W911NF-16-1-0106) to conduct qualitative interviews aimed at creating a theory of the development, violation, and repair of interpersonal trust across cultures
- An applied research project working with Aviation Systems Engineering Company and Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (contract #N61340-15-C-0024) to understand and measure team and multiteam interactions within Naval Carrier Strike Groups
- A laboratory-based study examining the predictors and outcomes of shared leadership in 3-person action teams
- A survey-based study examining the emergence of various cognitive/affective states and team processes over time in long-term project teams
The RIOT lab likes to “practice what we preach” and follow a philosophy of shared team leadership. All team members are encouraged and empowered to take ownership over projects and activities that align with their interests, and to support each other as researchers and individuals.
RIOT lab, from left to right: Nick Rosemarino, Hairong Jiang, Kyi Phyu Nyein, Trevor Fry, Allyson Pagan, Vivian Liu, and Charlie Scott, with faculty advisor, Dr. Jessica Wildman, in front.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jessica Wildman (Dr. Wildman's website)