Testing the impact of targeted team building on project team communication using social network analysis

Communication and teamwork are key determinants of whether a project will be delivered successfully. Team building is often used as a way of improving patterns of team interaction. This research tests the impact of a standardised and repeatable team building protocol on communication in a project team. It builds on the theory that increasing the interconnection within a team communication network will lead to enhanced project outcomes. A longitudinal Social Network Analysis approach was used to diagnose the patterns of communication in a project team, inform planning of the team building intervention, and test the impact of the intervention on team communication. Over a three-month period, the team building resulted in a significant change to project team members' comfort discussing personal matters, and the frequency with which they discussed personal and work-related matters. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd.