Harnessing demographic differences in organizations: What moderates the effects of workplace diversity?

Abstract

SummaryTo account for the double‐edged nature of demographic workplace diversity (i.e,. relational demography, work group diversity, and organizational diversity) effects on social integration, performance, and well‐being‐related variables, research has moved away from simple main effect approaches and started examining variables that moderate these effects. While there is no shortage of primary studies of the conditions under which diversity leads to positive or negative outcomes, it remains unclear which contingency factors make it work. Using the Categorization‐Elaboration Model as our theoretical lens, we review variables moderating the effects of workplace diversity on social integration, performance, and well‐being outcomes, focusing on factors that organizations and managers have control over (i.e., strategy, unit design, human resource, leadership, climate/culture, and individual differences). We point out avenues for future research and conclude with practical implications. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Organizational Behavior published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Board Diversity and Employee Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Progressive Programs

“…Social identity theory (Billig & Tajfel, 1973;Tajfel & Turner, 1979) posits that salient social categories promote in-group and out-group distinctions, and attendant dysfunctional team dynamics can prevent teams from effectively using the informational resources available to them. Thus, the potential benefits of diversity on group decisions are not automatic, but rather are complex and contingent on such factors as occupational demography (Guillaume et al, 2017;Joshi & Roh, 2009;Kochan et al, 2003). Van Knippenberg, De Dreu, and Homan's (2004) categorization-elaboration model (CEM) proposes that the primary mechanism by which diversity improves group performance is by elaboration of task-relevant information, and that this is more likely to occur when group member motivation and ability are high; when salient social categorization leads to intergroup biases, this elaboration is disrupted and performance is negatively affected.…”

“…Demographic diversity is therefore often described as having a "double-edged nature" because of its potential for negative as well as positive impacts on organizationally relevant outcomes (Guillaume et al, 2017;Homberg & Bui, 2013;Joshi & Roh, 2009). Social identity theory (Billig & Tajfel, 1973;Tajfel & Turner, 1979) posits that salient social categories promote in-group and out-group distinctions, and attendant dysfunctional team dynamics can prevent teams from effectively using the informational resources available to them.…”

Cross-Boundary Teaming for Innovation: Integrating Research on Teams and Knowledge in Organizations

“…Yet, very few scholars have used HR practices in their study of cross-boundary teams (Guillaume et al, 2015). Our integrative model of cross-boundary teaming has implications for HRM practices, in particular with relations to staffing and development, in both domains-innovation and teams.…”

Teaming Up or Down? A Multisource Study on the Role of Team Identification and Learning in the Team Diversity–Performance Link

“…Yet if this process is undermined because social-categorization-based intergroup biases are activated, diversity will hamper performance. In recent years, this model has formed the springboard for diversity research that has moved away from studying main effects and shifted its focus on mediators to explain how diversity enhances performance and contingency factors that shed light on when diversity enhances performance (Guillaume, Dawson, Otaye-Ebede, Woods, & West, 2015;Van Knippenberg & Mell, 2016). In the current work, we build on this trend and identify both mediating mechanisms and moderating contingency factors to explain positive effects of demographic diversity.…”

“…To date, the vast majority of empirical studies focus on external contingency factors such as organizational strategy (e.g., management style, organizational climate) or task design (e.g., task complexity, routine; Guillaume et al, 2015). In the present study, we emphasize the importance of internal group dynamics in the team, and study how team performance in diverse teams is contingent upon the quality of the internal "team spirit"-the level of collective team identification.…”