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Team size and diversity

Author

Listed:
  • Brais Alvarez Pereira
  • Shan Aman-Rana
  • Alexia Delfino

Abstract

We analyse the relationship of performance with team diversity and size. We first propose a model with knowledge spillovers in production, which predicts that the effect of team diversity on individual performance 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 diversity. Our main finding is that the benefit of diversity is increasing in team size. We further show that such benefit is heterogeneous depending on students' gender and the gender composition of teams. This has implications for how organizations can design their teams to maximize knowledge flows and performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Brais Alvarez Pereira & Shan Aman-Rana & Alexia Delfino, 2023. "Team size and diversity," NOVAFRICA Working Paper Series wp2301, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Nova School of Business and Economics, NOVAFRICA.
    • Handle: RePEc:unl:novafr:wp2301
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gender; Diversity; Team performance; Information; Communication;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • M50 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - General
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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