What are Multiteam Systems (MTSs)?
Networks of two or more teams working interdependently toward a shared superordinate goal while pursuing their own team-level goals.
What distinguishes MTSs from traditional teams?
MTSs require cross-team integration processes, not just within-team coordination.
What are the key integration processes in MTSs?
Cross-team coordination, communication, and shared mental models.
What did the F-22 simulation study show?
Cross-team processes had the greatest impact when interdependence among teams was high.
What is the “law of requisite variety”?
Effective MTSs can shift attention between within-team and cross-team activities as environmental demands change.
What are the two key leadership functions in MTSs?
(1) Leader Strategizing – setting direction and aligning system-level goals;
(2) Leader Coordinating – managing interteam processes and information flow.
What did the leadership training study find?
Training leaders in strategizing and coordinating improved coordination and overall system performance.
What is “functional leadership”?
Leadership defined by the ability to meet system-level needs, not by hierarchical position.
What are the three key requirements for effective MTS performance?
(1) Cross-team coordination,
(2) Adaptive, flexible leadership,
(3) Dynamic system-level thinking.
What is the Input-Process-Outcome (IPO) model?
A linear model where inputs affect processes, which determine outcomes. Useful but static.
What is the Input-Mediator-Outcome (IMO) model?
Expands IPO by including broader mediators (cognitive, motivational, affective factors) and multiple outcomes.
What is the Input-Mediator-Outcome-Input (IMOI) model?
Adds feedback loops to show how teams evolve across performance episodes, emphasizing learning and adaptation.
What happens in the action phase?
Task execution and performance management.
What happens in the transition phase?
Planning, reflection, and adjustment to guide future performance.
Why do teams cycle between action and transition phases?
To adapt, learn, and improve — outputs of one phase become inputs for the next.
What is a single-level model?
Analysis of relationships at one level
What is a homologous multilevel model?
The same relationship holds across multiple levels
What is a cross-level model?
Variables at different levels interact
What are the three cross-level model types?
Direct effects, moderator, and frog-pond models.
What are explicit coordination mechanisms?
Task plans and communication protocols.
What are implicit coordination mechanisms?
Shared cognition and mental models about task, team, and interaction.
On what three aspects can leaders focus?
Inputs (shared resources), processes (interteam interaction), and outputs (shared rewards).
