Diverse Work Groups Research Articles

Perceived Diversity and Team Functioning

Based on data from 38 organizational teams ( N = 241), we investigated the influence of perceived diversity on team identification and relationship conflict. Moreover, we examined the roles of diversity beliefs as a moderator and group affective tone as a mediator of these relationships. Objective diversity in age, gender, educational level, nationality, or tenure was not related to perceived diversity, team identification, or emotional conflict. But as hypothesized, perceived diversity was negatively associated with team identification and positively associated with relationship conflict. Diversity beliefs moderated these effects. Negative group affective tone mediated the relationship among perceived diversity, diversity beliefs, and relationship conflict. We found a similar trend for positive group affective tone with regard to the relationship among perceived diversity, diversity beliefs, and team identification. These results illustrate the central role of shared affect and diversity beliefs in determining whether work group diversity is an asset or a liability.

Intragroup Functional Diversity and Intergroup Relations in American and Chinese Workgroups

The authors investigate the role of intragroup functional diversity in influencing intergroup relations, defined as intergroup cooperation and group-level citizenship behavior toward other workgroups. Based on predominantly Western literature, the authors hypothesize that groups working in an American culture will show an inverted U-shaped relationship and that groups operating in a Chinese culture will show a J-shaped relationship. The two hypotheses are tested using 67 American workgroups in eight companies and 149 Chinese workgroups in 12 companies. The hypotheses are largely supported with some nuanced departure from the predicted curves. In particular, except for one negative linear relationship, American workgroups and workgroups with highly individualistic values display an inverted J-shape, with both homogenous and moderately diverse groups showing more positive intergroup behaviors than extremely diverse groups. Chinese workgroups exhibit a U-shaped pattern, with both homogenous and highly diverse groups showing the most positive intergroup cooperation. All Chinese groups show a high level of group citizenship behavior regardless of diversity. Collectivistic groups show the J-shape regarding both outcomes, as hypothesized. The article concludes with implications of findings for future research on workgroup diversity and for practices in cross-cultural management.

Work Group Diversity and Group Performance: A Status Configuration Process Model

For years the social categorization and the information/decision- making perspective have guided research to the relationship between work group diversity and performance. Recently, however, it has been noticed that status-related processes too may account for the diversity-performance relationship. In this conceptual paper, we advance a process model of the diversity- performance relationship that depicts how status-related processes relate to and interact with social categorization and information elaboration processes. Among others, we propose that work group diversity through social categorization processes more or less automatically yields within-group status differences, and that these status differences impact group behavior (of which information elaboration is just one aspect) and group performance. We advance a research agenda and discuss the implications of our model for managing diverse work groups.

Some Common Indices of Group Diversity: Upper Boundaries

Workgroup diversity can be conceptualized as variety, separation, or disparity. Thus, the proper operationalization of diversity depends on how a diversity dimension has been defined. Analytically, the minimal diversity must be obtained when there are no differences on an attribute among the members of a group, however maximal diversity has a different shape for each conceptualization of diversity. Previous work on diversity indexes indicated maximum values for variety (e.g., Blau's index and Teachman's index), separation (e.g., standard deviation and mean Euclidean distance), and disparity (e.g., coefficient of variation and the Gini coefficient of concentration), although these maximum values are not valid for all group characteristics (i.e., group size and group size parity) and attribute scales (i.e., number of categories). We demonstrate analytically appropriate upper boundaries for conditional diversity determined by some specific group characteristics, avoiding the bias related to absolute diversity. This will allow applied researchers to make better interpretations regarding the relationship between group diversity and group outcomes.

Leaders’ transformational, conflict, and emotion management behaviors in culturally diverse workgroups

PurposePrevious research has shown that diversity is related to both task and relationship conflict in groups. The purpose of this paper is to posit that leadership is an important factor for maintaining high group performance and morale under conditions of conflict. Specifically, the paper argues that leader conflict management, emotion management, and transformational behaviors determine the impact of conflict on group outcomes.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 585 people in 89 workgroups from eight public service organizations in Australia. The authors used hierarchical regression to test the hypotheses regarding group performance and morale. To test mediation and moderation, the authors followed the procedure outlined by Baron and Kenny. Finally, they used the formulas provided by Preacher, Rucker and Hayes to test for moderated mediation.FindingsResults showed that diversity increased task conflict but was unrelated to relationship conflict. Both task and relationship conflict were negatively associated with group performance and morale, and effective leadership reduced these negative effects to zero. There was also a partial support for the authors’ theoretical model predicting that leadership moderates the indirect effect of diversity on group outcomes occurring through the mediator of conflict.Research limitations/implicationsA greater amount of variation in the diversity of work groups included in the sample would have been useful for overcoming problems of restriction of range, which likely reduced ability to observe an association between diversity and group outcomes. Based on the results, in order to prevent negative emotions from task and relationship conflict from damaging group performance, leaders of diverse groups can act to manage those emotions among their group members. Results from this study implicate conflict management training. While training for conflict management is beyond the scope of this research, further research should examine this issue.Originality/valueThe study extends research in the area of diversity, leadership and group work. In particular, it demonstrates that transformational leadership is an important factor for maintaining high group performance and morale under conditions of conflict. It also offers practical assistance to individuals entrusted with the responsibility of managing culturally diverse workgroups.

Work Group Diversity and Their Relationship with Individual Well Being: An Empirical Study

Work Group Diversity and Their Relationship with Individual Well Being: An Empirical Study

An Examination of the Role of Stereotypes and Status in Diverse Work Groups

The social categorization and the information/decision-making perspective traditionally have been used in diversity research to understand and study the relationship between work group diversity an...

Don't They Want to Work with Us? Workplace Homophily Climate in a Society of Ethnic Tensions

We examine whether employee perceptions of the homophily climate in their work organization reflect ethnic tensions in society, and whether the degree of ethnic diversity in workgroups and the qual...

A Work Group Climate Perspective of the Relationships among Leadership, Diversity and Creativity

Previous research on the effects of workgroup diversity and workgroup functioning and outcomes has produced mixed results. We address these inconsistencies by proposing a model that considers the e...

When beliefs are not enough: Examining the interaction of diversity faultlines, task motivation, and diversity beliefs on team performance

Diversity faultline strength – the extent to which diversity attributes within a group converge in such a way that they split a group into homogeneous subgroups – can decrease group performance. Based on the categorization–elaboration model (CEM) of workgroup diversity, we assumed that task motivation can overcome the detrimental effects of faultlines. We further assumed that this effect is contingent on the groups' diversity beliefs and that it is mediated by the elaboration of task-relevant information. Forty-three student groups worked on a computer-simulated complex problem solving scenario. The group faultline strength was calculated over the attributes gender, age and educational background. Information elaboration was elicited by means of behavioural coding. Results revealed a three-way interaction of faultline strength, diversity beliefs and task motivation: groups overcame the detrimental effects of faultlines only if they exhibited pro-diversity beliefs and high task motivation. The three-way interaction of faultline strength, diversity beliefs and task motivation was partly mediated by information elaboration. Practical and theoretic implications are discussed.

Transforming Human Resource Management Systems to Cope with Diversity

The purpose of this study is to examine how workgroup diversity can be managed through specific strategic human resource management systems. Our review shows that ‘affirmative action’ and traditional ‘diversity management’ approaches have failed to simultaneously achieve business and social justice outcomes of diversity. As previous literature has shown, the benefits of diversity cannot be achieved with isolated interventions. To the contrary, a complete organizational culture change is required, in order to promote appreciation of individual differences. The paper contributes to this discussion by exploring the implications of this change for human resource management, and explaining how the systems of practices should be changed when they are directed to diverse groups. The model designed to test this notion includes: (1) demographic and human capital diversity as independent variables, (2) group performance (measured as innovation outcomes) as the dependent variable and, (3) the orientation of the strategic human resource management system as a potential moderator of this relationship. The main conclusion of the empirical analysis developed is that different patterns of human resource management practices can be used, depending on the type of diversity that the organization faces, and the specific effects that it wishes to manage. Concretely, three alternative management systems are identified in this paper, with different moderating effects. This result has interesting implications for human resource management professionals, explained in the last section. The limitations of this study are also discussed, as well as some issues that future research in this field should address.

The Role of Attitudes in Reactions Toward Diversity in Workgroups1

The present study examined attitudes toward diversity as a moderator of outcomes of diversity in workgroups. Two studies were conducted that focused on the development of the Attitudes Toward Diverse Workgroups Scale (ADWS) and on the impact of diversity attitudes on task performance and psychological reactions in actual face-to-face diverse brainstorming groups. The first study supported the internal consistency and stability of the ADWS and revealed that it was related, in the predicted way, to the Big Five and general prejudice. The second study revealed that high scores on the productive and affective dimensions of the ADWS enhanced brainstorming performance (quality of ideas) in actual diverse groups and positive psychological reactions to the group experiences, respectively.

Tackling one-sidedness in equality and diversity research: Characteristics of the current dominant approach to managing diverse workgroups in Iran

The primary aim of this paper is to investigate whether equal opportunity and diversity pronouncements, both internally through organizations’ own administrative policies or externally through imposed governmental legislations, benefit those who are the main subject of such initiatives (i.e., employees). While a majority of current research on equality and diversity has been dominated by writings on developed and specifically Western nations, this paper tackles such one-sidedness in previous research and takes the current understanding further by providing employee perspectives on equality and diversity in employment to encompass less developed nations with a particular focus on Iran. Using a qualitative research approach data were collected from employees across two construction and manufacturing industries. Based on the analysis of the data, we found, first, shared religious beliefs and language to be envisaged as playing a crucial part in establishing the ethnic minority workers’ affiliation to a workgroup; second, the prospects for implementing declared equality and diversity polices to fade away as the employee began to work; and third, the adoption of diversity and equality policies to be primarily driven by (1) the dire state of the economy, and (2) the need for a mechanism to fit only the management priorities.

Examining workgroup diversity effects: does playing by the (group-retention) rules help or hinder?

Group diversity researchers are often faced with the problem of calculating diversity indices for groups that are incomplete due to participant nonresponse. Because participant nonresponse may attenuate the correlations that are observed between group diversity scores and outcome variables, some researchers use group-retention rules based on within-group response rates. With this approach, only those groups that have a within-group response rate at, or higher than, the rate prescribed by the group-retention rule are retained for subsequent analyses. We conducted two sets of experiments using computer simulations to determine the usefulness of group-retention rules. We found that group-retention rules are not a substitute for a high response rate and may decrease the accuracy of observed relations, and consequently, we advise against their use in diversity research.

Prosocial behavior in diverse workgroups

Members from diverse workgroups face the challenge to work effectively together. Benefits associated with diversity may be overshadowed by lack of cohesion and subgroup forming, which can withdraw team members from working together cooperatively or helping each other out when necessary. In three studies, we showed that an individual’s focus on relationships (relational identity orientation; Brewer & Gardner, 1996), promotes prosocial behavior towards workgroup members from a different social group. Study 1 showed that high-trait relationally oriented individuals are more willing to cooperate with an outgroup member compared to low-trait relationally oriented individuals. Study 2 showed that priming a relational orientation leads to a higher willingness to help outgroup members compared to priming a personal or collective orientation. In Study 3, we replicated the findings of both studies and additionally tested two person-by-situation interaction models. It appeared that both trait relational identity orientation and identity primes appeared to independently predict cooperation tendencies with fellow workgroup members.

Inclusion and Diversity in Work Groups: A Review and Model for Future Research

A great deal of research has focused on work group diversity, but management scholars have only recently focused on inclusion. As a result, the inclusion literature is still under development, with limited agreement on the conceptual underpinnings of this construct. In this article, the authors first use Brewer’s optimal distinctiveness theory to develop a definition of employee inclusion in the work group as involving the satisfaction of the needs of both belongingness and uniqueness. Building on their definition, the authors then present a framework of inclusion. Their framework is subsequently used as a basis for reviewing the inclusion and diversity literature. Potential contextual factors and outcomes associated with inclusion are suggested in order to guide future research.

Ethnic Diversity as a Multilevel Construct

The authors present a model of the multilevel effects of diversity on individual learning performance in work groups. For ethnically diverse work groups, the model predicts that group diversity elicits either positive or negative effects on individual learning performance, depending on whether a focal individual’s ethnic dissimilarity from other group members is high or low. By further considering the societal status of an individual’s ethnic origin within society (Anglo versus non-Anglo for our U.K. context), the authors hypothesize that the model’s predictions hold more strongly for non-Anglo group members than for Anglo group members. We test this model with data from 412 individuals working on a 24-week business simulation in 87 four- to seven-person groups with varying degrees of ethnic diversity. Two of the three hypotheses derived from the model received full support and one hypothesis received partial support. Implications for theory development, methods, and practice in applied group diversity research are discussed.

The Moderating Influence of Nationalism on the Relationship Between National Diversity and Conflict

To understand the relationship between national diversity and conflict types (relationship and task conflict) in nationally diverse workgroups, we examined group members’ nationalistic attitudes regarding outgroup derogation (nationalistic derogation) and ingroup preference (national ingroup preference). A sample of 131 employees in nationally diverse workgroups was used to examine our hypotheses. A moderating effect of nationalistic derogation was found on the relationship between national diversity and both task and relationship conflict, such that national diversity was more likely to lead to both task conflict and relationship conflict when members had negative attitudes based on nationality toward the outgroup members. National ingroup preference was less influential on the relationship between diversity and conflict. Results are discussed for future research and practical implications.

Collective experience of inclusion, diversity, and performance in work groups

This conceptual paper addresses the presumed interactive effects of work group inclusion and diversity on work group performance. Building on prior theory and research focusing on individual-level inclusion, we put forth the construct of collective experience of inclusion, the aggregated degree to which members of a group feel valued by, engaged with, and able to express themselves authentically within their work group, both as individuals and as members of multiple identity groups. We propose that collective experience of inclusion will be positively associated with indicators of the group's performance. This relationship, we further propose, will be moderated by the diversity of the group's membership, such that, as diversity increases, the positive effects of the collective experience of inclusion on performance will be enhanced. Finally, we propose that variation in the degree to which individuals experience inclusion in the group, as assessed with an index of dispersion in the experience of inclusion, will further moderate this effect, and attenuate the positive interactive effects of collective experience of inclusion and diversity on performance.

As Canadian as Hockey: Examining the Cultural Mosaic Approach to Multicultural Work Groups

The term “cultural mosaic” reflects Canadian social ideology regarding multiculturalism. Unlike a “melting pot” that emphasizes blending and abandonment of cultural heritage, a cultural mosaic describes a society in which cultural groups live and work together maintaining their unique heritages while being included in the larger fabric of society. This study empirically examines the meaning of this term extending it to the work group setting and exploring implications for group conflict and performance. Drawing on relevant literature, we define cultural mosaic as a characteristic of culturally diverse work groups in which members' distinct cultural heritages, values, and practices are mutually recognized and accepted by the group, and utilized in the group's activities. A survey of 85 Canadians working in multicultural groups tested their understanding, awareness, and preference for a mosaic (versus melting pot or homogenous groups) when given a choice, and the evidence of a mosaic in their work groups. Results show high awareness of the concept and strong preference for mosaic groups, particularly among those who are satisfied with their current multicultural work groups; those least satisfied were less aware of the mosaic concept and strongly preferred homogenous groups. Although respondents expressed positive attitudes toward their preferred type of group, and anticipated least interpersonal conflict in those groups, across the board respondents expected significantly higher levels of conflict in melting pot groups compared to either mosaic or homogenous groups. We discuss implications for research and theory on intra-group conflict and diversity, and for the practice of managing multicultural groups.