and Allen Weiss for their helpful input. We are especially grateful for the valuable feedback provided by Daniel Brass, Linda Johanson, and three anonymous reviewers. This research was funded by the Stanford Integrated Manufacturing Association.If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. -John F. KennedyIn this paper we present an integrative model of the relationships among diversity, conflict, and performance, and we test that model with a sample of 45 teams. Findings show that diversity shapes conflict and that conflict, in turn, shapes performance, but these linkages have subtleties. Functional background diversity drives task conflict, but multiple types of diversity drive emotional conflict. Race and tenure diversity are positively associated with emotional conflict, while age diversity is negatively associated with such conflict. Task routineness and group longevity moderate these relationships. Results further show that task conflict has more favorable effects on cognitive task performance than does emotional conflict. Overall, these patterns suggest a complex link between work group diversity and work group functioning.'In the past decade, demographic diversity has become one of the foremost topics of interest to managers and management scholars. The term demographic diversity refers to the degree to which a unit (e.g., a work group or organization) is heterogeneous with respect to demographic attributes. Attributes classified as demographic generally include "immutable characteristics such as age, gender, and ethnicity; attributes that describe individuals' relationships with organizations, such as organizational tenure or functional area; and attributes that identify individuals' positions within society, such as marital status" (Lawrence, 1997: 1 1). The heightened concern with demographic diversity (hereafter referred to simply as diversity) stems not only from the growing presence of women and minorities in the work force (Buhler, 1997) but also from modern organizational strategies that require more interaction among employees of different functional backgrounds (e.g., Dean and Snell, 1991). One of the most significant bodies of research to arise from this trend is a stream of field studies linking group composition to cognitive task performance-i.e., performance on tasks that involve generating plans or creative ideas, solving problems, or making decisions. The impact of diversity on cognitive task performance has been examined in studies of top management teams (e.g.

No abstract

Two studies were conducted to investigate the indigenous concept of guanxi and its applications in the Chinese context. Guanxi refers to the existence of direct particularistic ties between an individual and others. We relate the concept to the idea of relational demography, which refers to similarities or differences between an individual and others on such factors as age, gender, race, religion, education, and occupation. The two studies focused on the importance of guanxi and relational demography in Chinese employment settings. In study 1, their importance was examined in a sample of 560 vertical dyads (i.e., between supervisor and subordinate) in Taiwan. In study 2, the effects were analyzed in a sample of 205 horizontal dyads, specifically between business executives and their important business connections (e.g., key customers, suppliers, bankers, government officials) in mainland China. Results support the importance of both guanxi and relational demography for subordinate trust in the supervisor, but only guanxi is found to be (extremely) important for business executives' trust in their connections. Implications for future cross-cultural research on the effect of common ties are discussed.

No abstract