The impact of gender diversity on scientific research teams: a need to broaden and accelerate future research

Abstract

Multiple studies from the literature suggest that a high proportion of women on scientific teams contributes to successful team collaboration, but how the proportion of women impacts team success and why this is the case, is not well understood. One perspective suggests that having a high proportion of women matters because women tend to have greater social sensitivity and promote even turn-taking in meetings. Other studies have found women are more likely to collaborate and are more democratic. Both explanations suggest that women team members fundamentally change team functioning through the way they interact. Yet, most previous studies of gender on scientific teams have relied heavily on bibliometric data, which focuses on the prevalence of women team members rather than how they act and interact throughout the scientific process. In this study, we explore gender diversity in scientific teams using various types of relational data to investigate how women impact team interactions. This study focuses on 12 interdisciplinary university scientific teams that were part of an institutional team science program from 2015 to 2020 aimed at cultivating, integrating, and translating scientific expertise. The program included multiple forms of evaluation, including participant observation, focus groups, interviews, and surveys at multiple time points. Using social network analysis, this article tested five hypotheses about the role of women on university-based scientific teams. The hypotheses were based on three premises previously established in the literature. Our analyses revealed that only one of the five hypotheses regarding gender roles on teams was supported by our data. These findings suggest that scientific teams may create ingroups, when an underrepresented identity is included instead of excluded in the outgroup, for women in academia. This finding does not align with the current paradigm and the research on the impact of gender diversity on teams. Future research to determine if high-functioning scientific teams disrupt rather than reproduce existing hierarchies and gendered patterns of interactions could create an opportunity to accelerate the advancement of knowledge while promoting a just and equitable culture and profession.

Women Leadership in the AGU Chapman Conference Series: Convener Impacts on the Science Program Committee

“…Therefore, our study utilizes the binary gender model in analyzing the representation of women in conference leadership. The binary gender analysis has been valuable in exposing problems (e.g., Ford et al., 2018; Kalejta & Palmenberg, 2017), in providing recommendations (Cain & Leahey, 2014; Farr et al., 2017), and in achieving tangible improvements for women (Else, 2019; Love et al., 2022). At the same time, we recognize this limitation in reporting only binary gender, as well as perceived gender, when self‐reported identities is needed, and we fully support the call for expanded collection of self‐reported demographic data including non‐binary, race/ethnicity, disability, and other demographic data for further analysis.…”

Towards effective collaborations: Reflections and recommendations for adult education and STEM

“…Early evidence found that diversity in teams was a source of conflict (Baugh & Graen, 1997; Benschop & Doorewaard, 1998; Guimerà et al., 2005). However, recent studies signal a paradigm shift (e.g., Love et al., 2022). There is substantial evidence that diversity in collaborations enhances creativity and innovation (Smith‐Doerr et al., 2017) and that a higher proportion of women on a team increases the collective intelligence of the team (Riedl et al., 2021; Woolley et al., 2010).…”

“…There is substantial evidence that diversity in collaborations enhances creativity and innovation (Smith‐Doerr et al., 2017) and that a higher proportion of women on a team increases the collective intelligence of the team (Riedl et al., 2021; Woolley et al., 2010). Additionally, several SciTS scholars have speculated that team science may serve as an entry point to science for women (Love et al., 2022; Rhoten & Pfirman, 2007). McKean (2016) found preliminary evidence that supporting women in an organization strengthened the entire organization.…”

Exploring gender imbalances in innovation and entrepreneurship: evidence from a global south country

“…Recently this issue has been revisited with a slew of studies putting forward the thesis that gender diversity is beneficial to innovation performance and hence profitability (Quintana-Garc ıa et al, 2022;Kokkinakis and Li, 2021;Ritter-Hayashi et al, 2019). The question of how gender diversity affects innovation performance under different contexts has been a complex and unsolved puzzle in the literature related to the innovation concept (Love et al, 2022). The R&D sector has historically been male-dominated, leaving women as a minority.…”

“…, 2019). The question of how gender diversity affects innovation performance under different contexts has been a complex and unsolved puzzle in the literature related to the innovation concept (Love et al. , 2022).…”