Social Category Diversity Research Articles

The effects of organizational diversity perception on affective commitment

ABSTRACT The Korean government introduced the “Balanced Public Personnel Policy” in the mid-1990s. Since then, diversity in the public sector has increased dramatically. However, studies examining the effect of diversity on organisation are scant. To fill the research gap, this study analysed the effects of organisational diversity using a sample of 778 employees from 35 Korean state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The study measured social category diversity, informational diversity, and value diversity and analysed their impacts on conflict and affective commitment. The results show that (1) social category diversity decreased conflict and increased affective commitment, (2) informational diversity did not have a statistically significant impact on conflict and affective commitment, (3) value diversity increased conflict and decreased affective commitment, and (4) conflict had a mediating effect on the relationship between value diversity and affective commitment. This study shows that organizational diversity affects affective commitment and that different types of diversity have different outcomes.

The Role of Resources in the Success or Failure of Diverse Teams: Resource Scarcity Activates Negative Performance-Detracting Resource Dynamics in Social Category Diverse Teams

Increasing the social category diversity of work teams is top of mind for many organizations. However, such efforts may not always be sufficiently resourced, given the numerous resource demands facing organizations. In this paper, we offer a novel take on the relationship between social category diversity and team performance, seeking to understand the role resources may play in both altering and explaining the performance dynamics of diverse teams. Specifically, our resource framework explains how the effects of social category diversity on team performance can be explained by intrateam resource cognitions and behaviors and are dependent on team resource availability. We propose that in the face of scarcity in a focal resource (i.e., budget), diverse (but not homogenous) teams generalize this scarcity perception to fear that all resources (i.e., staff, time, etc.) are scarce, prompting performance-detracting power struggles over resources within the team. We find support for our model in three multimethod team-level studies, including two laboratory studies of interacting teams and a field study of work teams in research and development firms. Our resource framework provides a new lens to study the success or failure of diverse teams by illuminating a previously overlooked danger in diverse teams (negative resource cognitions (scarcity spillover bias) and behaviors (intrateam power struggles)), which offers enhanced explanatory power over prior explanations. This resource framework for the study of team diversity also yields insight into how to remove the roadblocks that may occur in diverse teams, highlighting the necessity of resource sufficiency for the success of diverse teams.

Organizational diversity and inclusive boundary-work: the case of Israeli hospitals

PurposeThe theoretical conceptualization of boundaries is proposed as a useful approach to study diversity in organizations.Design/methodology/approachTwo types of diversity in health-care organizations – functional diversity and social category diversity – are compared, drawing on two extensive studies of Israeli hospitals. One study addresses the boundary between the medical professions and complementary medicine and the other examines the boundary between Israel's Jewish ethnic majority and the Arab minority.FindingsWith regard to functional diversity, boundary-work is used to draw, redraw, and maintain the boundary between biomedicine professionals and complementary medicine practitioners. With respect to social category diversity, boundary-work is employed to blur the boundary between Jewish and Arab professionals working within the organization and the ideal of professionalism is used as a boundary object to blur this ethno-national boundary.Originality/valueThis typology is offered in the hope of providing greater theoretical insight into the study of organizational diversity in the context of power relations.

Debating diversity: ethics and controversial public issues

Courses: Ethics, Organizational Communication, Political CommunicationObjectives: After completing this unit activity, students should be able to (1) apply multiple ethical perspectives to real-world diversity issues in a debate format, and (2) explain the role of informational and social category diversity in current controversies.

The Impact of Social Category Diversity on Motivation Gains in Exercise Groups.

Exercising with a virtual partner can increase motivation by 208%, but may be moderated by partner characteristics. We tested the impact of social category diversity (ingroup/outgroup membership) on motivation with a virtual exercise partner. Participants (N = 96) were randomized in a 3 (CONDITION: individual, partner-ingroup, partner-outgroup) x 2 (sex) x 2 (performance block: Block 1 & Block 2) design. Participants performed 2 sets of 5 abdominal plank exercises. Partnered conditions completed the second set of exercises with a virtual partner from either an ingroup ('Us') or outgroup ('Them'). Motivation was measured as fatigue-corrected exercise persistence (s). Partnered conditions exercised longer (M = 67.31s, SD = 63.53s) than the individual condition. The 'Us' condition persisted longer (M = 79.61s, SD = 61.92s) than the 'Them' condition (M = 55.02s, SD = 65.14s), although this difference only approached significance (p = .127). Social category diversity is unlikely to undermine motivating effects of a moderately superior virtual partner. Group leaders and algorithms for group-based online interventions should consider partnering those who struggle to meet recommended levels of intensity and duration of physical activity with a moderately superior partner.

팀 인력다양성이 팀효과성에 미치는 영향에 대한 연구 - 갈등과 성찰성의 매개효과 -

Workforce diversity is important issue on business today. The purpose of this study is to know effects of team workforce diversity on team effectiveness. The diversity is classified social-category diversity(sex, age, tenure), information diversity(major, job position, function), value diversity. The study looks how each diversity affect the team effectiveness(team satisfaction, team commitment, team innovation) and examines the mediating effect of conflict and reflexivity on the process. A survey of 66 team leader and member(total 439) at corporate institutes show that some diversity had a positive impact on team effectiveness. First, among social-category diversity , sex diversity and tenure diversity are positively related to team effectiveness. Information diversity is are positively related to team effectiveness. Value diversity is not significant on team effectiveness. Second, social-category and value diversity are positively related to relation conflict and task conflict and age diversity, tenure diversity, job position diversity, function diversity are positively related to relation reflexivity. Third, task conflict mediate the relationship between diversity(social-category, value) and team effectiveness(team innovation) and reflexivity mediate the relationship between diversity(information) and team effectiveness(team satisfaction, team commitment, team innovation). Last, I executed structural analysis to know clear relation between variable. This analysis show task conflict is mediate between diversity and reflexivity and then reflexivity is positively related to team effectiveness. this indirect effects are significant. Diversity directly or indirectly has an effect on performance. Companies must be conduct a long-term management of diversity. It should be performed in terms of the strategic human resource management.

다양성 지각 정도가 팀의 성과에 미치는 영향: 갈등의 조절효과를 중심으로

Purpose: The results of prior studies investigating main effects between diversity and team performance are neither clear nor consistent. This study seeks to provide more evidence for a direct link between these two. The present study also attempts to close a gap in the literature by examining conflict as a moderator of the relationship between diversity and team performance. Methods: As suggested by Williams and O'Reilly(1998), this study examines the effects of perception levels of three specific types of diversity (social category diversity, value diversity, and informational diversity) and two contextual moderators (task conflict and relationship conflict) on team performance. Results: The results show that perception levels of all three types of diversity are significantly related to team performance in the current sample of 313. Results also indicate that relationship conflict significantly interacted with the perception levels of diversity in relating to team performance. Results for task conflict, however, fails to support the hypothesis. Conclusion: The results suggest that the effects of diversity on team functioning depend on how diversity is perceived by team members, rather than actual diversity seen by team members. Theoretical and practical implications are reviewed, and limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are addressed.

Social Category Diversity Promotes Premeeting Elaboration: The Role of Relationship Focus

A purported downside of social category diversity is decreased relationship focus (i.e., one’s focus on establishing a positive social bond with a coworker). However, we argue that this lack of relationship focus serves as a central mechanism that improves information processing even prior to interaction and, ultimately, decision-making performance in diverse settings. We introduce the construct of premeeting elaboration (i.e., the extent to which individuals consider their own and others’ perspectives in the anticipation of an interaction) and explore its link with social category diversity and relationship focus. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrate that when disagreement occurs, social category diversity increases premeeting elaboration, with relationship focus as a central causal mechanism. Experiment 3 shows that premeeting elaboration has important implications for performance: disagreeing dyads with social category diversity elaborate more prior to meeting and, as a result, perform better on a decision-making task than those with social category homogeneity. We discuss the value of studying early-stage interaction and propose a reconsideration of the “downside” of social category diversity.

Diversity attitudes and group knowledge processing in multicultural organizations

Summary The ability to locate, share, and use knowledge is vital for effective functioning of organizations. However, such knowledge processing can be complicated by increasing cultural diversity. Recent studies have suggested that a group’s diversity attitudes may increase group outcomes. In this study, based on a sample consisting of 489 members of multicultural academic departments, we set out to investigate the relationship between openness to diversity (linguistic, social category, value, and informational) and group knowledge processing (knowledge location, knowledge needed, bring knowledge to bear, and personal knowledge). We found openness to linguistic and informational diversity to have positive associations with all group knowledge processing variables. Openness to value diversity was positively associated with most group knowledge processing variables, while openness to social category diversity only had a positive effect on personal knowledge.

Exploring Pandora's Box; The Impact of Diversity and Conflict on Work Group Performance

ABSTRACT: This paper describes a model that explores the critical roles of three group composition factors (social category diversity, value diversity, and informational diversity) and two moderating variables (task type and task interdependence) on work group performance and morale. The three types of diversity are proposed to exhibit both main effects and interaction effects (interacting both with each other and with task type and task interdependence) on work group performance and morale. Relationship and task conflict are proposed to mediate many of these effects. Empirical evidence for these relationships and their implications for those wishing to manage a diverse workforce are discussed.

When and how do differences matter? An exploration of perceived similarity in teams

In this paper, we directly assess perceived similarity—the degree to which members view themselves as having few differences—because we want to understand when teams notice diversity on various member characteristics and how they interpret it. Our results indicate social category diversity was related to initial estimates of both perceived social category similarity (SCS) and perceived work style similarity (WSS). And, whereas perceived SCS did not change over time, perceived WSS decreased significantly over the period of our study. We suggest this change in perceived WSS can be explained by an information-processing/decision-making framework. We found informational diversity was positively related to conflict in teams, and in turn conflict was negatively related to subsequent estimates of perceived WSS. However, informational diversity was positively related to information sharing in teams, which in turn was positively related to subsequent estimates of perceived WSS. Finally, these updated estimates of perceived WSS affected subgroup formation and team process effectiveness. We discuss how our research explores the subjective experience of diversity by team members, provides a dynamic view of the relationship between diversity and team outcomes, and informs emerging theory about the activation of faultlines in teams.

The Impact of Work Group Diversity on Performance: Large Sample Evidence from the Mutual Fund Industry

This paper investigates the impact of work group diversity on performance. Analyzing a uniquely large sample of management teams from the U.S. mutual fund industry we find that the influence of diversity on performance depends on the dimension of diversity that is analyzed. Informational diversity has a positive impact on performance, which is driven by tenure diversity as well as educational diversity. Social category diversity has a negative impact on performance, which is mainly driven by gender diversity while age diversity has no strong impact. Our results have important implications for the optimal composition of work groups and for investment strategies of fund investors.

Working harder with the out-group: The impact of social category diversity on motivation gains

This paper examines the influence that social category diversity (i.e., working with an in-group or out-group member) has on individual levels of motivation. The results of two experiments provide evidence that individuals increase their effort more when being outperformed by an out-group instead of an in-group member (Experiment 1), but only when the potential for social comparison is present (Experiment 2). We discuss the implications of this research for understanding how and why social category diversity may impact individual levels of motivation.

The Impact of Work Group Diversity on Performance: Large Sample Evidence from the Mutual Fund Industry

This paper investigates the impact of work group diversity on performance. Analyzing a uniquely large sample of management teams from the U.S. mutual fund industry we find that the influence of diversity on performance depends on the dimension of diversity that is analyzed. Informational diversity has a positive impact on performance, which is driven by tenure diversity as well as educational diversity. Social category diversity has a negative impact on performance, which is mainly driven by gender diversity while age diversity has no strong impact. Our results have important implications for the optimal composition of work groups and for investment strategies of fund investors.

Why Differences Make a Difference: A Field Study of Diversity, Conflict and Performance in Workgroups

A multimethod field study of 92 workgroups explored the influence of three types of workgroup diversity (social category diversity, value diversity, and informational diversity) and two moderators (task type and task interdependence) on workgroup outcomes. Informational diversity positively influenced group performance, mediated by task conflict. Value and social category diversity, task complexity, and task interdependence all moderated this effect. Social category diversity positively influenced group member morale. Value diversity decreased satisfaction, intent to remain, and commitment to the group; relationship conflict mediated the effects of value diversity. We discuss the implications of these results for group leaders, managers, and organizations wishing to create and manage a diverse workforce successfully.

Three Social Dilemmas of Workforce Diversity in Organizations: A Social Identity Perspective

This paper explores the relationship among three social dilemmas faced by organizations wishing to attain and maintain workforce diversity: the dilemmas of organizational participation, managerial participation, and individual participation. Functional and social category diversity offer benefits for organizations (creativity, adaptation and innovation, and access to external networks), but there are costs which deter organizations from pursuing these benefits. The costs associated with organizational participation in diversity initiatives arise because managers and their employees perceive organizational conflicts and organize their interactions along social identity lines, so that temporal traps and collective fences surround diversity. Resolving the subordinate dilemmas of managerial and individual participation provides the key to resolving the dilemma of organizational participation. Social identity theory is used to understand the dilemmas and to develop possible resolutions, which should make the benefits of diversity more immediately accessible to organizations and society.

Diversity, Conflict, and Team Performances Summary of Program of Research

: Increased productivity, creativity, and enhanced morale depends not only on the presence of diverse viewpoints and perspectives but also on the effective management of the conflict that arises due to these forms of diversity and the smooth implementation of the new and improved ideas. My co-authors and I have developed a model that includes a broader range of diversity characteristics and describes the processes by which diversity is beneficial in organizations. I present a summary of five research studies that we have conducted to validate and elaborate this model of diversity and performance. Teams that focus on differences in individual's work experience, educational training, and functional expertise (informational diversity) are able to debate constructively in an accepting setting (task conflict). However, teams that focus on differences in gender, race, and age (social category diversity) are more likely to stereotype and interpret things in a personal manner that is often destructive (relationship conflict). Teams that hold similar values about work and group goals are much less likely to debate about resource and work allocation (process conflict) and less likely to engage in personal attacks (relationship conflict). The summary of our research findings informs managers, team leaders, and organizational theorists.