Information Flow and Decision Making in Teams under Threat.
Abstract
Information flow during team decision-making was examined using a Situation Assessment Simulation (SAS). SAS presents multiple trials of a task that requires seven-person teams to access and communicate 20 items of diagnostic information and to decide which of two courses of action is appropriate under severe time constraints. Correct decisions are rewarded and incorrect decisions penalized. Four studies tracked communication patterns in hierarchically-organized teams and examined emergent patterns across repeated episodes under varying levels of task complexity, information distribution knowledge, communication feedback, and decision centrality. Of primary interest was the development of efficient communication strategies when access to information was distributed unevenly across team members. Results informed the development of a theory of tacit coordination: members actions are guided by expectations of other actions and the identification of pivotal actions given what others' are expected to do and what is required by the collective task. Expectations regarding others' actions can be based on knowledge of others' skills, interests, role prescriptions, resource access and past behavior. This report also contrasts information flow in hierarchically-organized teams with collective information sampling in face-to-face discussions of decision-making committees.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA307712
Entities
People
- Garold Stasser
- Steve Hinkle
Organizations
- University of Miami