Fast and high-quality decision-making: The role of behavioral integration

Abstract

Decision speed and quality are both vital for organizational survival and prosperity. However, they are assumed to be in tension, and there has been limited theory development concerning whether, and if so how, both are attainable. To address this gap, we turn to behavioral integration which captures the intensity of intrateam interactions. While behavioral integration is considered an antecedent of decision quality, it is presumed to slow decision-making, and overall, there remains a “black box” surrounding the mechanisms, behaviors, and processes which transmit behavioral integration to decision outcomes. Our theoretical account challenges the notion of behavioral integration being an impediment to decision speed, and we present new theory and evidence—comprising a mixed-method field study—explaining how behavioral integration acts as a key driver of both decision speed and quality while theorizing decision uncertainty as a new and important boundary condition.