Work team diversity: Refocusing through the lens of team power and status

Abstract

A well‐worn research debate is whether diversity is beneficial or detrimental to team success. On one hand, diversity has shown to facilitate team performance and engender creativity, yet studies have also found that diversity can have ill effects for team members and their work. Prior work has focused on mechanisms that lead to positive versus negative effects in teams by focusing on social category and information processing theories; however, the broader social psychological and sociological literature suggests additional social structural factors may play a role. In this article, I review findings suggesting that social structures, such as power and status of the team, may ultimately affect the link between work team diversity and performance outcomes. I make recommendations on how future research should not only consider the type and amount of work team diversity, but also focus on the social structure context in which diversity resides.

What do they think of me? Professional diversity, meta‐stereotype negativity, suspicion, and counterproductive work behaviour

“…Professional boundaries and status thus have a substantial influence on how members interact with colleagues, particularly those from other professions (Currie et al., 2020), suggesting the importance of status in understanding team dynamics and performance (Currie et al., 2015; Luan et al., 2017; van Dijk & van Engen, 2013). Previous research indicates support for the impact of status differentials in diverse teams (Leslie, 2017; Perry, 2021), particularly by strengthening the impact of social categorisation (Guillaume et al., 2017; Mitchell et al., 2015). We extend this research by arguing that perceived status differences increase the likelihood that suspicion will emerge consequence of team diversity.…”

“…Our focus on the moderating role of status differences in the relationship between diversity and suspicion builds on previous research suggesting that status perceptions interact with diverse team composition to influence both team dynamics and performance and may indeed serve to differentiate between the positive and negative impacts of such diversity (Mitchell, Boyle, Parker, Giles, Joyce, et al, 2015;Perry, 2021).…”

“…Furthermore, following recommendations to consider the role of social structure in work team diversity effects (Perry, 2021), we also posit a moderating role for perceived team status differences, that is, the comparative standing of different professions within the professional hierarchy represented by team members (Ridgeway & Walker, 1995). Our focus on the moderating role of status differences in the relationship between diversity and suspicion builds on previous research suggesting that status perceptions interact with diverse team composition to influence both team dynamics and performance and may indeed serve to differentiate between the positive and negative impacts of such diversity (Mitchell, Boyle, Parker, Giles, Joyce, et al., 2015; Perry, 2021).…”

“…We posit that professional diversity engenders this effect by increasing team suspicion, defined as uncertainty regarding, and the active consideration of, different and potentially conflicting hypotheses regarding others' motives and intentions (Fein & Hilton, 1994;Kim & Levine, 2011). Furthermore, following recommendations to consider the role of social structure in work team diversity effects (Perry, 2021), we also posit a moderating role for perceived team status differences, that is, the comparative standing of different professions within the professional hierarchy represented by team members (Ridgeway & Walker, 1995).…”

Razumevanje Timskega Dela Mladih Menedžerjev Človeških Virov

“…Kuh (2008) v svojem poročilu o učinkovitih izobraževalnih praksah navaja, da imajo skupinske naloge in projekti pozitiven vpliv na razvoj študentov, predvsem pa omogočajo zasledovanje dveh ciljev: učenja dela in reševanja problemov skupaj z drugimi ter razvijanja lastnega razumevanja pogledov drugih ljudi, ki imajo drugačna ozadja in življenjske izkušnje. V podjetjih pa se pogosto zastavlja vprašanje, kakšni so učinki učenja v skupinah na delovno uspešnost, razvoj drugih generičnih kompetenc in kako na uspešnost tima vplivata heterogenost in porazdelitev vlog članov Peter CIMPRIČ, Samo PAVLIN tima (Perry, 2021). Timsko delo je bilo posebne pozornosti deležno tudi pri proučevanju dela od doma (Van der Lipe in Lippenyi, 2019), ki je doživelo razmah v času pandemije covida-19 (Hočevar in Pavlin, 2021).…”