Cultural Diversity in Top Management Teams – Review and Agenda for Future Research

Abstract

Despite its growing social relevance, research on cultural diversity in top management teams (TMTs) has been sparse and fragmented. To build a firm foundation and facilitate the development of this field, we review and synthesize 106 key articles published between 1997 and 2021. Our study provides a comprehensive field map explicating the antecedents and influence of TMT cultural diversity, showing that cultural diversity constitutes a distinct and important aspect of TMT diversity that has significant implications for a variety of outcomes. By critically assessing the field, we identify key research gaps and promising areas for future research.We are grateful for comments from Alan Ellstrand at ICGS 2020 annual meeting. We also thank Sami Elomari, Lofti Karoui, Audra Mockaitis, and seminar audiences at the 7th Critical and Alternative Approaches to Governance Workshop, Barcelona. All errors and omissions remain those of the authors.