Team size and diversity

Brais Álvarez Pereira, Shan Aman-Rana and Alexia Delfino

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2024, vol. 224, issue C, 924-948

Abstract: We analyze the relationship between performance, team diversity and size. We first propose a model with knowledge spillovers in production, which predicts that the effect of a diverse team member – relative to the impact of a non-diverse team member – increases with team size. We experimentally test the model by randomly assigning students to solve knowledge questions in teams of different sizes, with or without a person with a diverse knowledge set. In line with the model, we find that the benefit of having a diverse rather than a same-skill colleague is greater in larger relative to small teams. These results have implications for how organizations can design their teams to maximize knowledge flows and performance.

Keywords: Gender; Diversity; Team performance; Information; Communication (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J1 J15 J16 M50 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Working Paper: Team size and diversity (2023)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:224:y:2024:i:c:p:924-948

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2024.04.004

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