Top Management Team Demography and Process: The Role of Social Integration and Communication

This research used data from 53 high-technology firms to test three alternative models of the effects of the top management team's demography and process on organizational performance: (1) a demography model, in which team demography accounts entirely for performance outcomes, and process has no impact; (2) a process model, in which process contributes incrementally and directly to performance outcomes, over and above the team's demography; and (3) an intervening model, in which the effects of the top management team on performance outcomes are due entirely to the effects of its demography on process. The study found the top management team's demography indirectly related to performance through process and process directly related to performance, although direct effects of team demography on performance were also found. These results suggest a fourth, more complex model of top management team behavior.