A recent study by Carnegie Mellon University highlights the significant role played by communication and expertise within organizations, offering insights into how they influence group performance. The researchers delved into how individuals become integrated into communication networks and how the selection process affects the performance of the group.
Their findings showed that individuals who engaged in more communication during training were more likely to be selected as central members of the network. Furthermore, teams that actively chose their central member achieved performance levels on par with, and sometimes even better than, teams where the central member was assigned at random.
“The people in network positions and the processes by which they arrive at those positions play a significant role in determining team performance,” the researchers explain. “For centralized network positions which require occupants to transfer information to other members of the network, it is critical to have good communication skills.”
The role of networks
Communication networks act as crucial channels for the exchange of knowledge, with central members typically responsible for collecting and disseminating this information. The research draws upon insights from studies on communication networks and Carnegie’s research perspective, which explores how organizations enhance efficiency through learning, establishing routines, sharing knowledge, and developing structures.
To determine if group members, when given the choice, select individuals who best match the skill requirements of specific network positions, the authors conducted a laboratory study involving nearly 125 university students. They tested two conditions: one where members had a say in who occupied central positions and another where they did not.
Granting group members the authority to choose who fills network positions allowed teams to optimize these assignments based on individual skills and expertise, such as organizational and delegation capabilities. This, in turn, bolstered the performance of the groups.
Frequent communicators
Team members tended to choose individuals who were both frequent communicators and seemed to possess task-related expertise for central network positions. Consequently, teams in which members had the freedom to pick their central member outperformed those where the choice was absent or where central members were randomly assigned.
It’s worth noting that this study focused on the effects of choice regarding network positions within a single network structure and did not delve into the performance differences when groups could choose their network structures.
“The Carnegie perspective speaks to formal and informal communication structures in organizations but not about the processes through which workers come to occupy network positions,” the researchers conclude.
“We extended this perspective by showing that the process through which individuals come to occupy network positions affects the performance of networks. In this way, we contribute to an understanding of how the development of a network, not just its structure, influences performance.”
