Multi‐project work and project performance: Friends or foes?
研究了多项目工作与项目绩效之间的倒U型关系，发现适度多项目工作可提升效率，但过度则因切换成本而降低绩效，对管理者优化员工工作安排有参考价值。
Abstract Research Summary While multi‐project work (MPW) is becoming an increasingly popular work arrangement, its relationship with project performance is understudied. On the one hand, MPW is deployed to increase employee worktime utilization and productivity, which should be reflected in more timely project completion. On the other hand, MPW also brings switching costs due to attention residue and cognitive setup. Based on this trade‐off, we derive an inverted U‐shaped relationship between MPW and project performance. We find support for this relationship in a longitudinal dataset containing 9,649 project‐month‐employee observations. More specialized experience, project similarity, and employee familiarity positively moderate the inverted U‐shape. Furthermore, the results are robust to a host of model specifications, data structures, assumptions, and alternative explanations. Managerial Summary How many projects can you work on simultaneously? We study this question in the context of new product development (NPD) projects in a multinational organization. We suggest that multi‐project work (MPW) might be a double‐edged sword. On the one hand, MPW academics or engineers can be more productive by filling the gaps in their schedules and developing time management practices. On the other hand, MPW also carries switching costs. This trade‐off creates an inverted U‐shaped relationship between MPW and project performance. So, how can MPW be more beneficial or less costly? We find that more specialized employees can benefit more from productivity gains while working with familiar members or similar projects can alleviate switching costs.