Capturing Team Dynamics in the Wild: The Communication Analysis Tool

Abstract

Capturing team processes, which are highly dynamic and quickly unfold over time, requires methods that go beyond standard self-report measures. However, quantitative observational methods are challenging when teams are observed in the wild, that is, in their full-situated context. Technologically advanced tools that enable high-resolution measurements in the wild are rare and, when they exist, expensive. The present research advances high-resolution measurement of team processes by introducing a technological application—the Communication Analysis Tool (CAT)—that captures fine-grained interactions in real workplace contexts. We introduce four core features of CAT: (a) customized coding measures, (b) session-based feedback on interrater reliability, (c) visualization and feedback options for displaying team dynamics, and (d) an export function to conduct advanced statistical analyses on effective team processes. We illustrate these core features using data from an organizational field project on multidisciplinary teams tasked with diagnosing patients with uncommon and highly complex medical conditions.