Coordination signal theory : a formal framework for social-informational mechanisms of coordination in teams / Daniel Jacob Griffin.

Coordination is the essential process by which teams manage the interdependence inherent in teamwork. Existing research has laid a foundation for understanding the processes of team coordination. However, existing coordination theory and empirical research have significant limitations. To address these limitations this dissertation proposes the Coordination Signal Theory, an information-theory based paradigm for understanding the social, motivational, and informational process mechanisms necessary for a team to coordinate. This framework presents theoretical grounding for understanding coordination as an information exchange process, highlighting the central role of social cognition and feedback. Specifically, the CST distinguishes between two forms of coordination (i.e., in situ and a priori) and considers the contextual conditions that impact their effectiveness. Additionally, coordination has thus far primarily been studied as a static, single-level phenomenon. Existing models of coordination do consider the dynamic, multi-level nature of coordination, but such efforts are yet to be fully explored. The proposed theoretical framework directly addresses these issues presenting two separate formal models of team coordination that focus on the nature of dynamic feedback and the impact of these processes occurring in locally embedded contexts. This work uses these models to present directions for future empirical study and practical application.

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