Cross-functional Teams and Informal Social Networks: A Case Study of Project Development and Performance in a Multidisciplinary Science and Technology National Laboratory

The present study focuses on a single cross-functional project team in a multidisciplinary science and technology national laboratory in the United States, with particular emphasis on the contribution of teammember networks to project success. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the subject team and with project stakeholders to identify how this factor, namely network-embeddedness, along with other organizational and individual variables, had an impact on team productivity and success. The study’s findings indicate that, while there is growing emphasis on the use of cross-functional teams in this laboratory as elsewhere, customary institutional support mechanisms fail to sustain teamwork when they are not specifically aimed at the utilization of networks to generate knowledge and other resources. Management support for team networking, on the basis of conscious awareness of the importance of networks, determines the extent to which network engagement may influence group performance.