Team workload: Review and conceptualization

Since many tasks are performed through teamwork, team workload becomes a highly concerned issue over time. However, there is still conceptual confusion. The purpose of this paper is to provide a clear and systematic model of the team workload. From the view of resource requirement, system, and interaction perspectives, models and conceptual framework of the team workload are summarized. With a broad perspective, a nominal definition of team workload is proposed as the total effort spent for processes involved in the execution of team tasks. Subsequently, the components and indicators of teamwork are identified from various team processes. This paper constructs team workload in four dimensions, task-focused activities, task-induced team activities, situational response, and team maintenance and development. Finally, the proposed model is compared with the existing models. •Definitions of team workload are summarized from three different perspectives.•Team workload is constructed with four dimensions.•The proposed team workload model is compared with the existing models.