Flexible team structures can strengthen organizational connectivity—however, increased flexibility is not automatically better for individual employees. This is demonstrated by a new study by Stefan Berger, Joost van de Brake, Heike Bruch, and Gerben Van Der Vegt, published in the Academy of Management Journal.
The researchers examine two forms of flexible teamwork: simultaneous membership in multiple teams (Multiple Team Membership) and frequently changing team affiliations (Fluid Team Membership). The findings are based on two studies involving 3,690 employees in a knowledge-intensive organization, as well as data from 106 organizations with a total of 15,342 employees.
The results reveal a Connectivity Paradox: At the organizational level, flexible team structures are associated with greater social capital and, indirectly, higher corporate performance. At the individual level, however, a more nuanced picture emerges. While participating in multiple teams is positively linked to social networking and performance, frequent team changes make it difficult to build and maintain stable relationships—leading to negative correlations for individual social capital and performance.
For leadership practice, this means: Flexibility requires connectivity. Organizations should design flexible structures in a way that allows employees to simultaneously build stable relationships and maintain social networks.
We warmly congratulate Stefan Berger, Joost van de Brake, Heike Bruch, and Gerben Van Der Vegt on this publication in the Academy of Management Journal.
