Abstract

This chapter explores some of the challenges associated with control and coordination in distributed work organizations and the implications for interface design. To achieve resilience in complex worlds, it becomes necessary for organizations to distribute authority broadly so that autonomous agents within the team can flexibly adapt to dynamic situations. However, this flexibility can be a threat to coordination with respect to achieving shared goals. On the one hand, interfaces need to be designed to help autonomous agents directly adapt to the local dynamics of specific situations. And on the other hand, the interfaces need to provide common ground to help operators see their local actions in light of the need to coordinate with other agents to achieve shared goals.