Effect of Deep-Level Workforce Diversity on Group Cohesion: The Moderating Role of Team Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the correlation between deep-level workforce diversity and social cohesion, with team leadership acting as a moderating variable. The functional theory of workplace diversity suggests that effective leadership and group cohesion helps organization leverage the benefits of diversity by ensuring that team members with diverse skills, experiences, and perspectives work together harmoniously towards a common goal, resulting in improved performance and innovation. The sample for this research consisted of 213 employees from public sector universities in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan. The data was collected through a self-administered structured questionnaire and analyzed using the Smart PLS software. The results show that deep-level diversity has a negative relationship with group cohesion, while team leadership has a positive relationship with group cohesion. Additionally, team leadership acts as a moderator in the model, positively moderating the relationship between deep-level diversity and group cohesion. This suggests that team leadership can strengthen the relationship between deep-level diversity and group cohesion among faculty members and administrative staff.