A normative-descriptive study of distributed team resource allocation. I. Empirical work

Results are presented on the empirical part of a normative-descriptive approach for studying distributed resource allocation in human teams. An experimental paradigm was developed with the key ingredients of different command structures, finite time and resource available for task processing, distributed resource ownership and dynamic resource sharing, etc. Using the paradigm, an experiment was run across three sets of independent variables: two command structures (hierarchical and parallel), two levels of tempo (low and high task arrival rates), and three levels of reward structure. A queueing model was developed; to select nominal values of key experimental parameters. The model extends the classical M/D/1 queueing models to incorporate finite time available for task processing and the distributed resource ownership. Several experimental hypotheses were generated to address critical issues in team resource allocation