journal
Asjb7
chapter_13-1.pptxDIVERSITY
CHAPTER 13
The nature of diversity
Why Diversity Is Important Now
Women and ethnic minorities are now in all levels of the organizational hierarchy and no longer primarily work only in certain types of jobs
People are living longer and retirement ages are being extended (older and younger people are more likely to work together)
Organizations are recruiting a more diverse workforce to improve relationships with customers
Globalization is also increasing diversity (culturally diverse teams)
The nature of diversity
Types of Diversity
Three types of diversity affect groups in organizations
Demographic (gender, ethnicity, age)
Psychological (values, personality, knowledge)
Organizational (tenure, occupation, status)
The nature of diversity
Demographic diversity relates to the social categories people use to classify others
Psychological diversity relates to differences in people’s cognitions and behaviors (conservative or liberal)
Organizational diversity is caused by differences in a person’s relationship to an organization (variables affect an individual’s status in the organization, which has important consequences on how people interact in teams)
Teams often comprise all three types of diversity
One of the main effects of demographic differences is that we give more power and status to certain group members than to others
The nature of diversity
The types of diversity vary in how easily they can be observed
Diversity based on age, sex, or race can be considered surface-level factors
Surface level factors affect people immediately (people who are similar in surface level factors are more likely to be initially attracted to each other and form stronger social attachments)
Psychological variables are deep-level factors
Deep-level diversity takes times to recognize (strongest positive impact on team performance)
The Nature of diversity
There are two ways to view how diversity affects a team
People with different backgrounds have different values, skills, and personalities; these difference affect how they interact in a team
The expectations approach focuses on the beliefs people have about what other people are like
These expectations change how they interact with people from different backgrounds
Causes of diversity problems
Diversity as a Cognitive Process
Diversity is a social construction based on our cognitive processes
People categorize their social world into groups and treat the members of those groups differently based on their categories
More likely to categorize people in ways that are easily observable
Social perception
The primary reason people categorize others is to simplify the world
Causes of diversity problems
Problem with social perception is that it leads to premature judgments about what others are really like
Stereotypes are cognitive categorizations that describe what people in the groups are like
Stereotypes may be positive, negative, or both
Stereotypes make people in a category seem similar to one another yet different from us
Stereotypes and social perceptions creates biases and inaccuracies that lead to misperceptions
Causes of diversity problems
Team Leader
Diversity affects a team through the relationship between a team member and a leader
According to the leader-member exchange theory, the team leader decides early in the relationship whether the team member is part of the in-group or the out-group
If part of the in-group, the team member will receive more resources, mentoring, and assistance; have better performance evaluations; and be more satisfied with being part of the team than are members of the out-group
Causes of diversity problems
There are two important insights from the leader-member exchange theory
First, the in-group/out-group evaluation occurs very early in the relationship, before the leader actually knows much about the performance of the team member
Second, the impact of the early impression has long-lasting effects on the relationship
Causes of diversity problems
A leader’s quick decision that a team member is either in-group or out-group often stems from the perceptual biases
First Impression Error
Fundamental Attribution Error
Similar-to-Me Effect
Halo Effect
Selective Perception
Causes of diversity problems
Diversity affects group interaction primarily by creating power differentials within the group
Power differences affect group cohesion because individuals with similar status are more likely to interact with one another and form friendships
Power differences may also lead diverse teams to have more internal conflicts because of conflicting goals and increased miscommunication
Problems of diversity
Misperception
False stereotypes and prejudices of team members cause diversity problems
People from different backgrounds hold different values and respond to situations differently
Differences in values and behavior can be threatening to people’s sense of what is appropriate
People may ignore or misinterpret the contributions of minority members(may contribute less to group communication)
Problems of diversity
Emotional Distrust
The dividing of a group into in-group and out-group members creates social friction
Power conflicts create a climate of distrust and defensive communication
Diversity may lead to an increase in conflict because people are more distrustful
Emotional distrust prevents the group from forming the social bonds necessary to create a cohesive team
Problems of diversity
Failure to Use Team Resources
Diversity has been shown to affect turnover and socialization in work teams
Minority members are more likely to have higher turnover in a team
A team that starts with a high level of diversity is more likely to have low minority turnover and have a less difficult time socializing diverse new members
Effects of diversity
Research on the Effects of Diversity on Teams
Information/decision making perspective states that differences in knowledge, skills, and perspectives may lead to higher quality and more creative decisions and improved performance
Social categorization perspective states that differences among team members may lead to in-group/out-group divisions within the team that decrease team member liking, trust, and cooperation and disrupt the group process
Effects of diversity
Teams that have to work cooperatively on interdependent tasks generally benefit from diversity
Teams that have a learning orientation and engage in team reflexivity activities are more likely to benefit from diversity
Teams in diverse organizations that value and support diversity are more effective at gaining the benefits of diversity
Effects of diversity
Cross-Functional Teams
Bring together knowledge and expertise that exists throughout an organization
Promote new product development and encourage organizational learning
Cross-functional teams are difficult to operate because the competing viewpoints that are necessary for creativity create conflicts that hurt team relationships
Application: creating a context to support diversity
Increasing Awareness
The goal is to increase knowledge and awareness of diversity issues, challenge existing assumptions about minority groups, and eliminate stereotypes
Multiculturalism versus Color Blindness
Multiculturalism has a more positive impact on social interaction than color blindness
Application: creating a context to support diversity
Improving Group Process Skills
Break down social boundaries between people
One way to do this is to structure and facilitate the team’s communication to equalize participation among members
Creating a Safe Environment
The positive impact of diversity only occurs if team members are able to disagree with each other in a safe environment
Application: creating a context to support diversity
Improving Organizational Issues
When the team has a strong sense of team identity, members are more willing to share ideas and pay attention to the ideas of other team members
Diversity should not be linked to tasks
When tasks and stereotypes are linked, stereotypes and prejudices become a rational way of explaining what happens in the team
Create goals and reward systems that encourage working together
