An investigation of project complexity's influence on team communication using Monte Carlo simulation

Research using empirical methods has established a curvilinear relationship between team communication and performance. We conduct virtual experiments to examine team communication and performance when teams work under varying types and levels of project complexity. Data samples, generated using Monte Carlo simulation, are based on the statistical characteristics of empirical data collected from 60 cross-functional project teams that communicated over multiple media (email, phone, and face-to-face) and were completing projects of varying complexity. Regression analysis indicates that project complexity influences the communication–performance relationship. Optimization shows that the communication frequencies at which teams maximize or minimize their performance are dependent upon media used.