An investigation into the managerial roles and career paths of gatekeepers and project supervisors in a major R & D facility

This study investigates the role of gatekeepers in the transfer of information within a single R&D location by comparing directly the performance of project groups with and without gatekeepers. The results show that gatekeepers performed a linking role only for projects performing tasks that were ‘locally‐oriented’ while ‘universally‐oriented’ tasks were most effectively linked to external areas by direct project member communication. Gatekeepers also appear to facilitate external communication by their locally‐oriented project colleagues. A follow‐up study five years later showed that almost all gatekeeping project leaders had been promoted up the managerial ladder; in contrast, one half of the non‐gatekeeping project leaders had ascended the technical ladder. This implies that higher managerial levels demand strong interpersonal as well as technical skills.