How do Team Leaders Communicate to Develop Situation Awareness?: An Exploratory Study in a Nuclear Submarine Simulator

This exploratory study aimed to identify how team leaders' verbal statements support the development of team situation awareness, in a highly dynamic and risky environment. The study was conducted during seven training sessions in a nuclear submarine simulator. Trainees were Diving-Safety Teams, who are responsible for controlling the ship and ensuring safety. Team leaders' verbal statements were coded according to Endsley's model of situation awareness (SA) in order to determine their underlying intentions. Results showed that operational performance improved when team leaders shared their understanding of the current situation and its potential evolution. They also highlighted the importance of sharing evaluations of data, actions and goals. The key finding was that two-thirds of verbal statements expressed by team leaders support the development of SA. This confirms its crucial role in the context of complex sociotechnical systems in risky environments.