Team Size and Performance: A Meta-Analytic Investigation

Abstract

Scholars agree team size is a critical component of team effectiveness, but the nature of the relationship between team size and important indicators of effectiveness is unclear due to contradictory theoretical perspectives and empirical findings. We meta-analyzed the relationship between team size and team task performance using data from 156 primary studies with 19,114 teams. Results indicate team size has a small but significant relationship (p^ = .10) with team task performance. Moderator analyses found the relationship was dependent upon task coordination, task complexity, and national culture (i.e., collectivism). Additional results revealed links between team size and other aspects of effectiveness including counterproductive work behaviors (p^ = .20) and team attitudes (p^ = -.05). Exploratory analyses found team size was essentially unrelated to various aspects of individual effectiveness. Implications for theory and future team research are discussed.