TOPIC: Question - Please answer

Q:4-You are managing an educational research project and three separate project teams work for you. Each team consists of four engineers and a team lead. There is no need for cross-team communications because every person only needs to communicate within their own team. Only the team leads report directly to you and when information needs to be distributed from one team to another, this also goes through you. What is the total number of communication channels used on your project?

Option are - 36, 33, 30 and 120

Can anyone answer with explanation?

Vikas, please tell us where you found this question. Who created/owns it?

This is an interesting question, I will try to answer it.

There are two calculations needed, one for the project teams, and the other one between the PM and team leads.

See image below



Each team has 10 communication channels, and 3 teams would equal to 30. Plus the 6 channels between the PM and team leads. The total would be 36.

The answer is 33. For each team the channel of communication is 10 (5x4/2). For three teams it adds upto 30. Now the team leaders interaction to other team leaders is through Project Manager and there is only one channel of communication between Project Manager and each team leader. This totals upto 3. Therefore the total channel of communication is 33 (30+3)

Arindam Das wrote: Now the team leaders interaction to other team leaders is through Project Manager and there is only one channel of communication between Project Manager and each team leader. This totals upto 3. Therefore the total channel of communication is 33 (30+3)

I'll have to disagree on this part. The question states "Only the team leads report directly to you and when information needs to be distributed from one team to another, this also goes through you", therefore it indicates a 4-way communication between the PM and 3 team leads.