Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2013

Abstract

For military teams faced with the threat of death, this study found that the generally accepted positive effects of training and experience may be insufficient to ensure survival and met mission goals. Positive outcomes of acute--or "at the point of death"--events encountered by military team leaders did not correlate with general training, overall team leadership experience or frequency of experience. Survey responses of 494 military team leaders reveals situation awareness and perceived control trump training and experience in positive outcomes of in extremis events. These results empirically support the rapidly accreting, but, to date, mostly theoretical literature on situation awareness in acute crisis situations. Results relevant to military and other professional first-responders facing life threatening situations, may also be of interest to individuals facing tense, ambiguous, albeit less acute, circumstances.

Keywords

in extremis leadership, situation awareness, training, experience, self-efficacy, stress tolerance

Rights

© The Author(s). Kelvin Smith Library provides access for non-commercial, personal, or research use only. All other use, including but not limited to commercial or scholarly reproductions, redistribution, publication or transmission, whether by electronic means or otherwise, without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.

Department/Center

Design & Innovation

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