10653: The Multilevel Nature of Extreme Team Resilience (session 25552)

Designated as a “Best Paper” by OB
view abridged “best paper” (if available)

Extreme teams, such as disaster response units, special operations forces, or high-stakes medical teams, operate under conditions of intense pressure, uncertainty, and risk, thus necessitating resilience. While the literature recognizes the importance of collaboration and coordination for team resilience, much of the existing work falls short of explicitly exploring the emotional and relational multilevel dynamics (i.e., team vs. individual) that underlie team resilience. We lack an integrated theory and comprehensive practical insights into why, when, and how teams facing extreme adversity become brittle or remain resilient over time. Therefore, this paper conceptually explores the unique dynamics of team resilience in extreme settings, emphasizing how socio-emotional processes at the individual and team levels interact to sustain or undermine a team’s collective functioning. In doing so, we propose a multilevel process model that explains how individual-level resource losses and resulting affective responses shape team members’ decisions to engage (team-focused) or disengage (self-focused). Drawing on Conservation of Resources Theory, we highlight how resource losses are more salient and impactful across levels than resource gains, especially in high-stakes settings, often driving rapid shifts toward team brittleness. Using a trajectory-based approach, we explore the temporal dynamics of resilience and brittleness in extreme teams, where time pressure and heightened risk magnify the risks and rewards associated with interpersonal risk-taking. By examining the multilevel interplay of emotional, cognitive, and relational mechanisms, this work seeks to advance our understanding of why and how extreme teams adapt and recover - or falter - in the face of extraordinary challenges.

view paper (if available)