Search behavior of individuals working in teams: A behavioral study on complex landscapes

Search is a fundamental part of complex problem solving and often involves a choice between the exploration of new ideas and the exploitation of already known solutions. While literature has mainly analyzed search behavior of individuals working alone, we investigate search accomplished by individuals working in teams. We study the interplay of three theoretically grounded factors that can affect the search behavior of individuals in teams: the level of behavioral interdependence among team members, the members’ limited level of knowledge about the problem, and the performance feedback they receive. We operationalize search behavior in terms of search distance, which reflects the extent of exploration in problem space. Results show that high behavioral interdependence reduces exploration, while limited knowledge promotes exploration. Furthermore, positive performance feedback leads to reduced exploration, the more so the lower behavioral interdependence and the more limited knowledge are. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of these results for team design.