Team characteristics

Structure variables are the contextual parameters that may impact team processes and outcomes. We identified the following three dimensions within which the different structure variables could be classified organizational characteristics, team characteristics, and task characteristics. 

Team characteristics, or group composition, has received significant attention in studies on team effectiveness. We identified the following seven distinct aspects of team composition that are likely to impact Ql team performance team heterogeneity, team expertise, team authority, preference for teamwork, famiharity, team size, and quahty-improvement training and expertise. 

Figure 4 High-Performing vs. Low-Performing Team Characteristics. (Source Synectics, Inc.)...

Michel, J., Hambrick, D. (1992). Diversification posture and top management team characteristics. Academy of Management Journal, 35, 9-37. 

The QRA project team can select the appropriate technical approach once you specify the study objectives, and together you can define the scope. A variety of modeling techniques and general data sources (discussed in Section 3.2) can be used to produce the desired results. Many computer programs are now available to aid in calculating risk estimates, and many automatically give more answers than you will need. The QRA team must take care to supply appropriate risk characteristics that satisfy your study objectives—and no more. 

Once the variability risks, and q, have been calculated, the link with the particular failure mode(s) from an FMEA for each critical characteristic is made. However, determining this link, if not already evident, can be the most subjective part of the analysis and should ideally be a team-based activity. There may be many component characteristics and failure modes in a product and the matrix must be used to methodically work through this part of the analysis. Past failure data on similar products may be useful in this respect, highlighting those areas of the product that are most affected by variation. Variation in fit, performance or service life is of particular interest since controlling these kinds of variation is most closely allied with quality and reliability (Nelson, 1996). 

Step 10.2 Tabulate Flows and Concentrations. Record the quantified emission data in tabular form and indicate which figures are estimates and which are actual measurements. The team should consider qualitative characteristics when it quantifies gaseous wastes. 

Complete and accurate written documentation of chemicals properties, process teclinology, and process equipment is essential to the PSM program and to a process hazards analysis (PrHA). This information serves many users including the PrHA team. The needed chemical information includes fire and explosion characteristics, reactivity hazards, safety and health hazards and the corrosion and erosion effects. Current material safety data sheet (MSDS ) information helps meet this requirement, but must be supplemented with process chemistry information regarding runaway reactions, and over-pressure hazards. 

At the next organizational level are factors directly causing error 1) job characteristics such o Complexity, time stress, noise, lighting, environment, or mental requirements, and 2) individual factors such as personality, and team performance. These, collectively, are called performance-influencing factors, or PIFs. 

The centralized team(s) will approach PSM element by element. The teams develop detailed guidelines, procedures, and standards for each PSM element, which can then installed by facility management. Howevei in handling one PSM element at a time, teams must be careful to incorporate a consistent approach to those elements that are interrelated (e.g., training), and to the management system characteristics (e.g., documentation) that apply to the whole PSM system. 

To help define these benefits as crisply as possible, ask each team member to answer the question, "Why is this plan the best possible way for our company to implement PSM " Then ask each one to list every jjositive characteristic the plan offers and every positive effect the company can expect from it. You will almost certainly find that the results of this brief exerdse can be easily grouped into categories, each of which probably represents a selling benefit. 

The teams selected to design PSM systems should reflect the approach you have chosen. However, regardless of the approach you use, keep in mind some general characteristics of effective process design teams, which include ... 

In general, HTA, IMAS, and CADET fulfill most of the above criteria, hence they can be used together as a framework for carrying out both action and cognitive task analysis. When particular aspects of the human-machine interaction must be examined in greater detail for example, the temporal characteristics of the task or the team communications, certain methods can be selected to provide this information—OSDs in this case. Most TA methods... 

These are changes in individuals or teams which may mean that normally assumed unwritten knowledge (e.g., about the particular operational characteristics of the plant) is not available. 

For the checklist portion of the analysis, the PrHA team leader obtains or develops an appropriate checklist for the team to use. This list need not be as detailed as those used for a standard checklist analysis. Rather than focusing on a specific list of design or operating features, the checklist used here should focus on general hazardous characteristics of the process. 

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