The Research On The Relationship Between Team Heterogeneity And Team Performance In R&D Project Team

New scientific and technological results are achieved everyday, and the tendency of economic globalization is developing consistently. R&D is becoming the most important power of the competition and development to the whole corporations. This study analyzes the effects of team heterogeneity and communication effectiveness on team performance qualitatively, and communication effectiveness, as a mediator, explains the relationship between team heterogeneity and team performance.The paper first introduces definition and related literature review of team heterogeneity, communication effectiveness and team performance. Then according to the characteraistic of the R&D project team, we set up the evaluation index system of the project team communication effectiveness and form the questionnaire. Finally, based on the questionnaire, the paper discusses the effects of team heterogeneity on team performance and the mediation of communication effectiveness. Data is collected from 300 workers, and the effective recovery of respondents in the survey a total of 191. The theoretical model and hypotheses were analyzed empirically by use of SPSS 16.0. The results are as following:Firstly, the team age heterogeneity and education level heterogeneity are all negatively related to every dimensions of communication effectiveness; team tenure heterogeneity is positively related to every dimensions of communication effectiveness.Secondly, the team age heterogeneity and education level heterogeneity are all negatively related to every dimensions of team performance; team tenure heterogeneity is positively related to every dimensions of team performance.Thirdly, communication effectiveness plays the role of partly mediation in the effects of the team age heterogeneity, education level heterogeneity and team performance; communication effectiveness plays the role of total mediation in the effects of the team tenure heterogeneity and team performance. Finally, according to the conclusions, the paper puts forward practical suggestions on improving the team performance of the R&D project team and point out the limitations of the paper and future research dirctions.