ITR: Collaborative Research: Large Scale Collaboration in Critical Environments

University Of Maryland At Baltimore, Baltimore

Investigators

Abstract

Organizations operating in critical environments, such as hospitals and security agencies, have evolved into team-based, quasi-decentralized structures. Safety, efficiency, and quality performance in these organizations depend on the ability of the organization to support large scale collaboration-real time coordination across teams, tasks, and resources in a dynamic and risk-prone environment. This research begins to tackle problems of coordination in large-scale collaboration through field research in a trauma center, technology development of mobile devices for real time coordination, and laboratory studies to understand coordination across teams, people, and resources. The research aims to develop a theory of trajectory management and management tools in large-scale collaboration and practical solutions to cross-team coordination. Researchers from University of Maryland Medical School, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Arizona will collaborate on this research. This project will improve theory in organization science, increase understanding of how to exploit new information technology in critical environments, and improve coordination in hospitals and other vital organizations.