Heat Impairs Teamwork More Than Individual Performance
New UC San Diego research underscores the need for climate adaptation in collaborative work environments
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As global temperatures rise, a new study from the University of California San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy reveals that even mild heat exposure can significantly hinder team performance, while leaving individual productivity largely unaffected. Productivity losses from heat exposure have been extensively studied at the individual level; however, these findings explore the role of interpersonal dynamics in high-temperature settings which have profound implications for workplaces worldwide, especially in regions with limited access to climate control.
The study, forthcoming in the Review of Economics and Statistics, involved an experiment run in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Computer science undergraduates were assigned to work either individually or in pairs on programming tasks in rooms set to 24°C (75°F) or 29°C (84°F). While individuals maintained consistent performance across both temperatures, teams in the warmer rooms experienced a notable decline in productivity.
“There's a breakdown in communication and interaction between workers when it's hot,” said study coauthor, Teevrat Garg, an associate professor of economics at the School of Global Policy and Strategy. “When it's hot, you're more irritable and annoyed and therefore less likely to work collaboratively with people, which is essential for creativity and innovation.”
The research highlights how heat exacerbates coordination challenges, particularly in diverse teams comprising members of different genders or academic standings. Participants in warmer conditions, reported lower satisfaction with their partners and a greater desire to switch collaborators for future tasks.
However, in the normal temperature conditions 24°C (75°F), teams generally outperformed individuals and were nearly twice as likely as individuals to add any features to the code.
There's a breakdown in communication and interaction between workers when it's hot. When it's hot, you're more irritable and annoyed and therefore less likely to work collaboratively with people, which is essential for creativity and innovation.
Garg (right) and Elizabeth Lyons (left), associate professors at the School of Global Policy and Strategy.
These findings are especially pertinent for developing countries like Bangladesh, where rapid economic growth is coupled with limited climate control infrastructure. As knowledge-based industries expand in such regions, understanding the impact of environmental factors on team dynamics becomes crucial.
“Our study suggests that organizations should consider environmental conditions when structuring collaborative work,” said Elizabeth Lyons, study coauthor and associate professor of management at the School of Global Policy and Strategy. “Investing in climate control for team-based workspaces could yield significant productivity benefits.”
She added that the findings have major implications for modern economies, which increasingly depend on team-based production. In 2017, 78% of US employment was in occupations where group work was reported as either ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ important.
The study, also coauthored by Maulik Jagnani of Tufts University, was supported by the School of Global Policy and Strategy’s Policy Design and Evaluation Lab and Cowhey Center for Global Transformation, as well as UC San Diego’s Academic Senate.
Read the full study, Heat and Team Production: Experimental Evidence from Bangladesh.
Learn more about research and education at UC San Diego in: Climate Change
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