From being diverse to becoming diverse: A dynamic team diversity theory

Abstract

Summary On the basis of the literature of open systems and team diversity, we present a new dynamic team diversity theory that explains the effect of change in team diversity on team functioning and performance in the context of dynamic team composition. Building upon the conceptualization of teams as open systems, we describe the enlargement and decline of team variety, separation, and disparity through member addition, subtraction, and substitution. Then, focusing on diversity enlargement, we theorize the contemporaneous and lasting effects of team diversity change on team performance change and on team processes and states leading to them. Dynamic team diversity theory expands the focus of team diversity research from teams' being more diverse than others to teams' becoming more diverse than before. It aims to advance team diversity research to be better aligned with the organizational reality of dynamic team composition. We also discuss methodological considerations in subsequent empirical testing of the theory and highlight how the theory and future research may help to guide organizational practice in recomposing work teams.

Cleaner production practices at company level enhance the desire of employees to have a significant positive impact on society through work

“…According to Glavas and Godwin (2013) overall perception of goodness, which is conceded through the implementation of CSR by some means influences employees’ OI at workplace. According to Farooq and Salam (2020, p. 4) OI refers to a point where employees are so much gratified, content, satisfied and attached with their organization that they themselves choose to be identified with their employer/organization and they recognize that their identity is linked with their employer/organization ( Chahal and Devi, 2013 ; Lee, 2008 ; J. Li et al., 2018 ; Salam et al., 2019b ). In this aspect, many academicians (e.g.…”

The preventative benefit of group diversification on group performance decline: An investigation with latent growth models

“…Examples of group diversification and homogenization in organizational tenure and gender via member addition, substitution, and subtraction. Adapted from Li et al (2018). Each circle represents a member.…”

“…As a compositional input to group work, diversity itself is dynamic as members join and/or leave the group. Yet, most diversity theory and research—including the contingency approach to diversity—have treated diversity as a static feature and operate within the boundary of unchanged group composition and diversity (Li, Meyer, Shemla, & Wegge, 2018; also see van Knippenberg & Mell, 2016). This is even the case in the most temporally concerned studies on diversity.…”

“…What is not known is what if diversity itself changes over time, how diversity change affects the group (including group performance), and whether the two major theoretical mechanisms of diversity are still held in the novel boundary of dynamic group composition and diversity. As cautioned recently and strongly, researchers cannot simply assume that what holds for comparisons between more versus less diverse groups can be translated directly to understand change in group diversity over time, because theoretical mechanisms that account for the effects of the level of and change in a group construct are likely distinct from each other (Mathieu, Hollenbeck, van Knippenberg, & Ilgen, 2017, p. 463; also see Li et al, 2018; Mathieu et al, 2014).…”

Being Different, Being Absent? A Dynamic Perspective on Demographic Dissimilarity and Absenteeism in Blue-Collar Teams

“…Therefore, a core aim of this study is to add a temporal perspective to social identity processes of demographical dissimilar individuals in teams through the time-based lens of anchoring events by proposing and testing that social identity processes for dissimilar team newcomers do not have an immediate effect on absenteeism, but rather trigger negative anchoring events that affect absenteeism behavior only later. Thus we address a central criticism of theory formulation not only in diversity and relational demography research (Li, Meyer, Shemla, & Wegge, 2018), but in management and organizational behavior research in general: that most theory does not consider when, and for how long, an effect is likely to occur (Cronin, Weingart, & Todorova, 2011).…”