Piezunka said the study draws attention to the importance of organizational design. When operations are scaling, they need to consider the personal relationships, behaviors, boundaries, and norms — not just workflows and responsibilities. Businesses with tightly knit teams can avoid the “intruder trap” through selective involvement of new hires. It’s a gentler way of welcoming the stranger, he said. He hopes the study will help managers better understand social networks, so they set newcomers up for success.
