Decision Making Teams: Their Study in the U.S. Military
Abstract
Decision making plays a major role in effectiveness at all levels within an organization, from the decision made by the worker performing primary production or service activities to the Board of Directors whose members make strategic decisions about the future directions of the firm. Often the critical decisions are made in teams rather than individually. A major portion of the research on team decision making has been done in the military with tactical teams performing in simulated exercises. Tactical decision making is typified by a hierachical structure with a leader and team members who possess specialized knowledge relevant to the decision ultimately made by the leader. This specialization of knowledge within the team is referred to as 'distributed expertise.' Hierachical teams with distributed expertise are also common in other public and private organizations. The purpose of this review is to identify critical findings regarding the effectiveness of such teams and to draw conclusions regarding them in nonmilitary as well as military settings.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA265449
Entities
People
- Linda E. Barrett
Organizations
- Michigan State University