Collective Communication Versus Small Group Communication – Gender Differences in Performance Improvement Under Uncertainty

A vast number of people can be reached via online platforms which in turn benefit from the intelligence of these collectives to solve a diverse set of problems, especially in situations where there is uncertainty. A crucial task for organizations is the selection of the optimal problem-solving design in small groups and collectives. This study aims to identify whether communication improves performance in situations of uncertainty. The main focus is the comparison of performance improvement through small group or collective communication by gender. Results, based on an experiment conducted on about 800 business students from a large Western European University, suggest that topic-specific knowledge has a positive impact on performance under uncertainty in the absence of communication. In addition, small group, as well as collective communication, has been found to improve performance. Finally, comparison of performance improvement showed that best communication type varies by gender. Gender-based differences in communication style, as well as topic-specific interest, determine what communication type is most suitable. These results complement existing research which investigated communication effects as well as the design of small group and collective problem solving. The role of gender, which has not been investigated previously, is also underscored by the results of this study. Furthermore, practical implications for choosing either collective or small group communication are outlined.