Extending Hypothesis Testing of Edge Organizations Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) During ELICIT

The Edge, appropriate for exploring contemporary military operations raises issues regarding comparative performance to traditional hierarchal configurations. Well-controlled experimental design offers insight about the internal workings of the Edge organization with high levels of reliability and internal validity. Leweling and Nissen (2007) reported results of an extension to a series of laboratory experiments using the ELICIT multiplayer intelligence game. This confirmed that Edge organizations outperform Hierarchy organizations in certain tasks, environmental contexts, and performance measures. Their findings answer questions and inform future experimentation. In particular, complementary research suggests that participants’ tacit knowledge and contextual influence modulates those results. If so, then understanding tacit knowledge and contextual influence at the physiological level—and linking such understanding to individual and team performance—can reveal novel insight into how to organize, lead and perform in high-capability organizations (Kalbfleisch et al., 2006, 2007, Roberts et al., 2009, Kalbfleisch, in press). In this paper we explain the elements necessary to understand and employ during state-of-the-art functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to illuminate such physiological bases. Specifically, neuroimaging can be used to identify neural systems affiliated with behavior during meaningful moments of exchange to characterize tacit knowledge during ELICIT. Building upon previous work, this research extends the state of the art and opens new avenues for continued knowledge development.