Beyond Milgram: An Experimental Study of Leader Presence

Abstract

The US Army is changing the organizational structure of the combat strike unit to cover more distance and inflict greater damage with fewer soldiers. These changes involve a shift in the modes of command and control between soldiers and their leaders: leader presence on the battlefield will no longer be necessary. Initial experiences with this concept have raised a concern about the effectiveness and efficiency of remote command and control. In the experiments discussed here, we address this concern in an ecologically realistic simulation of a battlefield environment. We test the impact of leader presence at two levels (present and remote) on combat task performance. Participants' task was to shoot, move, and communicate with a leader. We found that participants were faster to move and shoot in the leader-present condition than in the leader-remote condition.