Approximately 200 employees of small and medium sized businesses participated in a study to determine if their task characteristics affected the communication network roles they enact. Specifically, the study investigated the effects of variety, autonomy, task identity, feedback, dealing with others, and friendship opportunities on the network role enactment of isolates (employees with few relationships within the organization), liaisons (those with links to two or more groups), and group members (employees who have more ties with each other than with other organizational members). Results of a discriminant analysis procedure supported the idea of the overall influence of task characteristics on role enactment. In particular: (1) autonomy and identity were associated with the role of isolate; (2) variety was associated with group members; and (3) feedback and dealing with others were associated with liaisons. Friendship opportunities failed to discriminate among the roles. (FL)