Reducing the Negative Effects of Stress in Teams Through Cross-Training: Job Demands-Resources Model

The purpose of this study was to utilize the job demands-resources model to examine the direct and interactive effects of job demands and cross-training on cognitive, behavioral, and affective outcomes in teams. Results from 54 teams indicated that an increase in job demands reduced mental model accuracy and information allocation and increased tension among team members. Cross-training, on the other hand, increased mental model accuracy and decreased tension among team members. More importantly, the direct effects of cross-training were qualified by the interaction. When job demands were high, cross-trained teams evidenced higher mental model accuracy, more information allocation, and less tension than teams that were not cross-trained. Cross-training was less influential when job demands were low, indicating that cross-training acted as resource to buffer the negative impact of job demands in teams.