Diversity in teams

Revision as of 21:33, 21 February 2021

Abstract

There has been done a lot of research on how diversity affects teams, but the results are divergent. While some studies find positive effects, others find negative effects. Never the less diversity can still be a challenge for many teams, and then especially to manage. It has the potential to disrupt team functioning, or on the flip side be the source of creativity and insight. ^[1]. Awareness and knowledge about diversity and how to handle it are therefore crucial for a project, program or portfolio manager.

Introduction

Diversity has many definitions, and one of them is "variation based on any attribute people use to tell themselves that another person is different". ^[2]. Diversity is especially connected to projects, programs and portfolios management through the people perspective. People are critical to the success of projects, programs and portfolios and as stated in the DS Handbook 185 "Projects are made for people by people" ^[3]. Even though it sounds obvious, it is only in recent years that people and behaviours have been recognized and incorporated in project management as a profession.^[3] An important part of this is to see projects as a collaboration between people, each with their own identities, knowledge, interests, personalities, backgrounds and so on. These are all factors that will make people see and approach the task differently, and requires attention from the manager. It does not help to have the right processes and right systems if the team members do not work effectively together. This has in many ways changed the role of the manager from a technician, an analytical person that schedules meetings and updates budgets, to a leader that also needs to have social skills. Communication is now recognised as a project success factor, and around 80% of managers' time is spent on communication. ^[3]. As mentioned people all have identities, knowledge, interests, personalities and backgrounds. These are all examples of different types of diversity that can exist in a team. In almost all sectors, whether it is government, business, science, health care, diverse groups and teams are on the rise ^[1]. Organizations have started paying more attention to group compositions, and incorporation differences in terms of demographics and functional backgrounds. Managing them is now considered a major challenge to organizations. ^[4]

Diversity and Complexity and Uncertanty

Even though diversity normally is related to the people perspective it is also relevant to the complexity and uncertainty perspectives. As we will see later, complexity is a moderator that can increase the amount of conflict within a culturally diverse team. Diversity can also increase the complexity in project, program or portfolio. There several challenges related to diversity in teams, and this can contribute to making the integration of people within the teams harder. Different cultures may do the same type of work in different ways, and expectations for the certain type of work may therefor not always align. For example, EHS(Environment, health and safety) in the construction industry can vary in different parts of the world. In the northern parts of the world, there are can be other rules, then further south. Diversity in the interfaces to the stakeholder can also increase the complexity. Having stakeholder from different cultures and with different personalities is something that could require extra attention from the project manager. This could also be connected to uncertainty, as an important part of managing uncertainty reducing risk.

State of subject

There have been conducted substansial amounts of research on the topic of diversity in the past few decades. This has led to mixed, and even contradictory results. Qualitative reviews of the field of diversity conclude that that studies' results are inconsistent. ^[5]. Especially when it comes to the question of, "Does diversity increase performance in a team?". Some studies find positive correlations, while others find negative correlations. Mannix, Elizabeth & Neale, Margaret A, suggest that the reason for the positive effects could be that advantages of diversity often are found under very narrow conditions ^[2]. There have also been conducted large meta-studies, which have found either no correlation between diversity and performance, or a small negative effect. In some cases, like how diversity affects the different processes, there seems to be some consistency. Many studies concluded with the effects diversity may have, and it is important to separate those from effects that diversity have. These are e

It also has to be mention that even though it can be if unclear diversity affects performance it does not mean that it, for the reasons of equality, is not appropriate and necessary. Diversity initiatives can reduce discrimination and increase access to career opportunities. ^[5]

Effects of diversity

The effects of diversity have traditionally been understood trough three different theories: ^{[2] [5]}

1. Similarity-attraction. States that "Similarity on attributes such as attitudes, values, and beliefs will facilitate interpersonal attraction and liking, and vice versa".^[5]. This applies to both social settings, and to work settings where individuals are attracted to working with those they have something in common with.

2.Self-Identity and Social-Categorization Individuals categorize themselves into specific groups, based on race, gender, values, beliefs among others. All those that belong to the same group are then seen as outsiders and are treated differently. When categorizing others we tend to focus on the are most distinctive and stands out within the social context.

3.Information processing Individuals in diverse teams have access too other individuals that have different backgrounds, networks, information and skills. The theory stays clear of the typical "demographic proxies", which is typical surface-level differences such as ethnicity or age, and instead focuses on the Underlying differences such as education and personalities.

Both the similarity-attraction perspective and self-and social categorization perspective tend to lead to the pessimistic view of diversity in teams. Since individuals will be attracted to working with those that are similar to themselves, more homogeneous teams will be more cohesive and the members more socially integrated. It also creates an atmosphere where the outsiders are judged more stereotypically and experience different expectations. The information processing perspective does, on the other hand, offer a more positive view, as it leads to an increased amount of information within the group and creates an atmosphere that can improve the group-performance. ^[2]

Types of diversity

There are several types of diversity that all affects groups and teams differently. Two categories that often are used are:

Surface-level differences, which are those that one can see, such as those of race/ethnicity, gender, or age. Research shows that these differences tend to be more likely to have negative effects on the ability of groups to function effectively. ^[2]

Underlying differences are those that are not visible on the surface such as functional background, education or personality. These are more often related positively to performance, and an instance be through increased creativity or group problem solving, which relates to the Information processing perspective.^[2]. They do also require that the process around them is carefully controlled.

Cultural Diversity

Cultural diversity is defined as "the existence of a variety of cultural or ethnic groups in a society", but can be applied to teams as well. ^[6].As the world gets globalized, projects become more international in many ways. Both due to people moving between countries, but also due to the development of technology that allows teams to work together across country borders online. This leads to culturally diverse teams with both Surface-level differences and Underlying differences. An example of such a project is the Hålogaland Bridge in northern Norway, where the architect and engineers were Danish, the main contractor Chinese and some of the subcontractor Norwegian.

A large meta-study by (Stahl, G., Maznevski, M., Voigt, A. et al) that reconcile past findings in the field of cultural diversity, found that cultural diversity was unrelated to teams performance.^[5]. What they did find is that cultural diversity increases the forces of divergence within teams. Culturally diverse teams experience increased creativity, more conflict and less social integration. It is also interesting to note that, contrary to their hypotheses, they found that culturally diverse teams did not experience less effective communication and actually had higher satisfaction. There were several moderators to these effects, and they show that the effects may vary, depending on contextual influences. For example, culturally diverse teams have more conflict when the task is complex, the teams were co-located and if they had more time together. The reason for this could be that teams with longer tenure, often work on more complex projects, end, therefore, has the opportunity to get into deeper and more difficult issues. There is also higher satisfaction in culturally diverse teams, contradictory to the general research on diversity. The rest of these figures are shown in the figure below:.

Figure 1: Effects of cultural diversity, made with inspiration from ^[5]. The effects were depended on the moderators.

Based on the results of a series of meta-analyses, we conclude that cultural diversity in teams can be both an asset and a liability. Whether the process losses associated with cultural diversity can be minimized and the process gains be realized will ultimately depend on the team’s ability to manage the process in an effective manner, as well as on the context within which the team operates. Future research endeavors should focus on the mechanisms through which cultural diversity affects team dynamics and performance, and on the conditions that help or hinder effective team performance.

Personality diversity

Personality diversity in teams is the existence of different personalities with in the team. Knowledge of the different types of personalities and how they may influence is crucial for the manager to be able to establish teams that work well together. ^[7]. It is not possible to change peoples' personalities and characteristics, but knowing the natural roles of the team members can enable the manager to build balanced and effective teams. There are several ways to identify and categorize the natural roles of team members. One way is to do a written test like the Belbin test, this will result in one of Belbin's 9 team roles, which is are 9 essential teams roles to a high functioning team. This process can ease the formation of teams and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of all the team roles. Another option is The Five-Factor Model (OCEAN)-test, where the candidates get scores within five personality traits.'

Gender diversity

Gender diversity in teams is the existence of different genders within the teams and is a typical surface-level difference. There is growing evidence that having women in teams affects its preferences, decisionmaking and outcomes. ^[8].

How to manage diversity

Leading the team, the manager is crucial to reduce the potential negative effects of diversity and capitalize on the positive effects. Mannix, Elizabeth & Neale, Margaret A has come up with three concrete suggestion on how to do this based on a review of previous research on diversity:^[2]

1.Task and goals within the teams

The first suggestion is to consider the type of task thoroughly for diverse teams. As discussed earlier, diversity can lead to increased creativity in teams. Diverse teams could therefore thrive with task and goals that require creation and different perspectives, for example within innovation. Another way to go is to set other success criteria than just performance. Even though diverse teams may not outperform homogeneous teams, the team members may learn from each other in terms of skills and ways of approaching problems and issues. The learning process itself could therefore be a goal and something that could benefit the organization in the long-run.

2.Connceting the team members

In teams, it can be a challenge for those with other perspectives to be heard. It is important to create an environment that is tolerant of other perspectives, so those with different views are willing to share their viewpoints. Findings from the group-decision-area in recent years shows that information exchange in groups typically focuses on the information that is already known among the group members.^[2]. A reason for this because some team members are unwilling to risk the discomfort, potential conflict and exclusion that deviant behaviour might lead to .^[2]. The project manager can try to reduce the effect of this by facilitating social ties, which can lead to trust and social cohesion, effective communication, and improved performance.

Another option could is to connect the team members in a way that is meaningful to the particular team. This can for example be by creating superordinate goals for the teams and can be task-related, organizationally relevant, or focused on work values.^[2]. This creates something that the team members all have in common, and they can "gather around".

3.Enhancing the Influnece of the Minority

As briefly discussed in the section above, a serious problem in teams is the strain toward conformity, as individuals often try to avoid disagreement and confrontation. Conformatiy can have its benefits, but can also hinder organizational change and result in less innovation, learning, and even in detection of errors and decision accuracy. ^[9]. It is therefore important to have these minority opinions and make them heard, as they can lead to divergent thinking and increased performance. To achieve this it is crucial that the manager supports the minority-opinions, and make sure their voices are heard. Finally, it can also help to have a team environment that encourages openness and learning.

Limitation

As mentioned earlier is research on the topic divergent, and especially when it comes to performance.

focus on the specific effects it may have, and plan for how to best capitalize on these 

Annotated bibliography

^[5].. Large meta study, that tries to summarize previous research on the topic of diversity and cultural diversity. Taken from the report: "Our goals in this study were to take stock of and synthesize the findings from previous research, to reconcile conflicting perspectives and past results, and to propose an agenda for the next stage of research in this field."

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Fernandes, Catarina R & Polzer, Jeffery T. Diversity in Groups. Available at:https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/Diversity_in_Groups_EmergingTrends_57796940-b049-43dc-b58b-832eccbcaa80.pdf
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9} Mannix, Elizabeth & Neale, Margaret A (2005). What differences make a difference? Psychological Science in the Public Interest. Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1529-1006.2005.00022.x?casa_token=qiXUEAO_nPIAAAAA:77IXwF62pgU5VFPWF6eW7mm2XyX56bgBE-cmFbnMJsl6NTVD1S2u9EEHZIry56F8RPzRaaAfDdyu
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Geraldi, J., Thuesen, C., Oehmen, J., & Stingl, V. (2017). Doing Projects. A Nordic Flavour to Managing Projects: DS-handbook 185:2017. Dansk Standard.
4. ↑ Seong, J. Y., & Hong, D.-S. (2013). Gender diversity: How can we facilitate its positive effects on teams? Social Behavior and Personality: An international journal, 41(3), 497-508.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6} . Stahl, G., Maznevski, M., Voigt, A. et al. Unraveling the effects of cultural diversity in teams: A meta-analysis of research on multicultural work groups. J Int Bus Stud 41, 690–709 (2010). Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/46526123_Unraveling_the_effects_of_cultural_diversity_in_teams_A_meta-analysis_of_research_on_multicultural_work_groups
6. ↑ Oxford Languages for Google. Cultural diversity definition. Available at: https://www.google.no/search? rls=com.microsoft%3Anb%3A%7Breferrer%3Asource%7D&sxsrf=ALeKk00Aga05cPg7KF2xXvAQudX3lPwCFQ%3A1613070110502&ei=Hn8lYISXHqXnrgTy7L6oAw&q=cultural+diversity+definition&oq=cultural+diversity+definition&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQDFAAWABgsCFoAHAAeACAAVWIAVWSAQExmAEAqgEHZ3dzLXdpesABAQ&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwiEnry3wuLuAhWls4sKHXK2DzUQ4dUDCA0
7. ↑ AXELOS. Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 2017 Edition, Page 74, The Stationery Office Ltd, 2017.
8. ↑ Azmat, G. Gender diversity in teams. IZA World of Labor 2019: 29 doi: 10.15185/izawol.29.v2
9. ↑ . Research shows that when an individual is exposed to opposing minority views, they think more about it, see more aspects of the situation and are more likely to find other solutions or come to new decisions.

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