Integrating theories from the literatures on intra-group behavior, inter-group behavior, and "teams of teams," this presentation will discuss the mechanisms fundamental to the performance of a multiteam system (MTS). An MTS has been defined as a tightly coupled activity system consisting of two or more non-reducible, distinguishable, and interdependent teams that distinctly contribute to achieving shared, super-ordinate objectives and goals. The current empirical literature on MTSs is limited, consisting of qualitative studies of a small number of MTSs or quantitative studies focused on small MTSs. In contrast, this presentation will describe an ongoing program of research that studies a large number (over 600) of large teams (14 team members) involving U.S. Air Force Captains working on a complex tactical war game. This program of research reveals that much of the conventional wisdom emanating from the study of small, stand-alone "traditional teams" does not generalize to MTSs because of the role of size, vertical differentiation, and structural embeddedness.
