The curvilinear relationship between proactive diversity and team performance: Taking team life cycle as a moderating role

Abstract

Combined with proactive personality, team diversity, fit theories, and team life cycle literatures, we present a model to explore the relationship between proactive diversity and team performance. We propose that there is a curvilinear relationship between proactive diversity and team performance, such that team performance is greatest at moderate level of proactive diversity, at very low or at very high levels of this diversity, team performance is lower than that moderate level. Further, we believe that in different team life cycles, which include early phases and later phases, the curvilinear relationship will differ. That is, team life cycle may play a moderator role between proactive diversity and team performance: the curvilinear effect is strong at an early phase, but at later phases of the team life cycle, the curvilinear effect will become very weak.