title: Task allocation and the balancing of task demands in the multi-man-machine system--some case studies.
abstract: Various forms of team organisation are described. These are based on the concepts of vertical and horizontal structure. Task factors of complexity and organisation are introduced and their relationships with various forms of multiman-machine system are discussed. Experimental work is briefly described and then two case study analyses of operational systems are presented. The first, an examination of airport air traffic control, illustrates how a multiman system can be reorganised to yield a more balanced distribution of task demands. The second, a study of an ambulance control room, shows the implications for team organisation of a shared computer data-base. These case studies demonstrate that the concepts developed in the laboratory context can be applied to operational multiman-machine systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Psychology, University of Aston in Birmingham, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Stammers
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hallam