Here's a finding you and your boss can both appreciate: Workplace teams perform better when they include friends. A comprehensive meta-analysis of 26 studies revealed that teams of friends outperformed groups of acquaintances or strangers across various tasks. This advantage was especially pronounced in larger teams focused on maximizing output.
The researchers reviewed studies featuring participants with established friendships, compared against non-friends or acquaintances, all with clearly measured task performance. These 26 studies encompassed 1,016 groups and 3,467 participants. Results consistently showed friendship groups held a performance edge, whether tasks demanded physical strength or cognitive skills, across all age groups. The larger the team, the stronger the friendship benefit. Friendship excelled in output-maximizing scenarios but offered no edge for optimal problem-solving.
