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Communications of the Association for Information Systems

Author ORCID Identifier

Sharath Sasidharan: 0000-0002-8896-8694

Ganga Dhanesh: 0000-0002-2471-9808

Abstract

Team-based experiential projects promote hands-on skill acquisition in technically oriented information systems courses and reflect the collaborative structure of real-world technology teams. Yet, student team formation is often treated as a procedural matter rather than a deliberate pedagogical strategy. This study introduces a team formation protocol grounded in social capital, organizational networking, and experiential learning theories. The protocol applies social network principles to assign students to teams based on classroom network positionality by distributing high-centrality individuals, integrating isolates, and dispersing clique members. We implemented the protocol in a graduate-level database management course and compared the treatment cohort (n = 30; 28 respondents, 93% response rate) with a prior self-selected-team cohort (n = 27; 27 respondents, 90% response rate). Students in protocol-based teams reported greater database skill acquisition and stronger team relationships and achieved higher project scores, providing evidence that deliberate team design can support both individual learning and collaborative performance. Building on these findings, the study advances an initial design theory of network-informed team formation centered on structural resource distribution, peripheral integration, and relational diversification. The study demonstrates how network structure can inform project-team design while specifying boundary conditions that qualify when such interventions are likely to be effective.

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