Taskwork

Taskwork is a concept used in organizational and human factors studies to describe the individual actions and cognitive processes required to perform a task. It refers to the knowledge, skills, and routines a person brings to work, including decision making, problem solving, technical procedures, and manual operations. Taskwork is often contrasted with teamwork, which focuses on how people coordinate, communicate, and share situational awareness. Together, taskwork and teamwork shape overall performance in teams and organizations.

Taskwork elements are usually categorized into cognitive taskwork, technical taskwork, and psychomotor taskwork. Cognitive taskwork involves planning, decision making, and problem solving; technical taskwork covers procedural knowledge and operational skills; psychomotor taskwork includes manual abilities and hand-eye coordination. In many settings, taskwork is highly context-specific and time-critical, and errors can arise from gaps in training, forgetting procedures, or misapplying knowledge.

Assessment and training in taskwork focus on measuring accuracy, speed, adherence to procedures, and safety outcomes. Training methods employ simulations, drills, and checklists to build procedural fluency and reduce novice errors. Debriefings and structured feedback help translate individual taskwork into reliable team performance, particularly in high-stakes environments.

Applications of taskwork are prominent in aviation, healthcare, military, industrial operations, and emergency response, where individual performance directly affects team outcomes. Research examines how taskwork changes under stress and fatigue, and how technology such as decision support and automation influences the balance between taskwork and teamwork.

Limitations include the context-dependent nature of taskwork and the risk that excessive focus on individual tasks can undermine coordination. Nevertheless, effective taskwork supports teamwork and overall system performance. See also: human factors, teamwork, procedural training.