The relationships among group size, member ability, social decision schemes, and performance

Abstract

This study examines the effect of member task skills and social decision schemes on the performance-size relationship for both simulated and interacting groups. Group performance is found to be a linear function of log size, with returns to scale a positive function of group member ability and the use of nonunit rather than unit weight social decision schemes. Reexamination of data from previous studies shows that the direction and magnitude of these effects are similar across tasks. The subjects are 555 managers and graduate students, 382 of whom worked in 87 groups of size two to six members. The task was the NASA moon exercise.