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 al ternative models of the effects of the top management team's demograph y and process on organizational performance: (1) a demography model, i n which team demography accounts entirely for performance outcomes, an d process has no impact; (2) a process model, in which process contrib utes incrementally and directly to performance outcomes, over and abov e the team's demography; and (3) an intervening model, in which the ef fects of the top management team on performance outcomes are due entir ely to the effects of its demography on process. The study found the t op management team's demography indirectly related to performance thro ugh process and process directly related to performance, although dire ct effects of team demography on performance were also found. These re sults suggest a fourth, more complex model of top management team beha vior.