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PROVO -- Hiring a new co-worker that just doesn't fit in socially might help a company be more productive according to a BYU study.
Dwight Schrute on NBC's TV show The Office is strange, but BYU professor Katie Liljenquiest says having someone different in a work place is a good thing. But that doesn't mean you or your boss should go hire a Dwight.
"What we don't want to say is, ‘Yes, bring in the socially inept individuals and they'll help things along. But if you can find someone who's socially distinct, you know, from an outside social group, they can really change work dynamics," she said.
The study found groups that worked well together without an outsider to stir differing viewpoints actually performed worse than groups that felt uncomfortable but spent more time debating issues.
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