Multilevel Theory of Team Decision Making: Decision Performance in Teams Incorporating Distributed Expertise

The purpose of this research was to develop and test a theory of decision-making performance for hierarchical teams with distributed expertise. This theory identifies 3 core team-level constructs (team informity, staff validity, and hierarchical sensitivity) and 3 constructs below the team level that are central to decision-making accuracy in hierarchical teams with distributed expertise. Two studies are presented to test the proposed theory. A total of 492 college students worked on a computerized command-and-control simulator. Results from these studies are discussed in light of the theory. Similarities and differences in results across the 2 studies are discussed, as are potential modifications of the theory considering the data. Finally, implications of the theory for applied team contexts are elaborated.