Business Commons^™

Introduction To A Special Issue On Inequality In The Workplace (“What Works?), Pamela S. Tolbert, Emilio J. Castilla

Pamela S Tolbert

[Excerpt] While overt expressions of racial and gender bias in U.S. workplaces have declined markedly since the passage of the original Civil Rights Act and the creation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission a half century ago (Eagly and Chaiken 1993; Schuman, Steeh, Bobo, and Krysan 1997; Dobbin 2009), a steady stream of research indicates that powerful, if more covert forms of bias persist in contemporary workplaces (Greenwald and Banaji 1995; Pager, Western, and Bonikowski 2009; England 2010; Heilman 2012). In line with this research, high rates of individual and class-based lawsuits alleging racial and gender discrimination suggest that many …

Transforming Research On Diversity And Firm Performance: A Dynamic Capabilities Perspective, Quinetta Roberson, Oscar Holmes, Jamie L. Perry

Jamie Perry

Despite a growing body of literature on diversity and firm performance, our review of research across fields, theoretical traditions, and levels of analysis suggests that the relationship is not a simple one. However, we attempt to integrate theory and research from macro and micro research domains into one perspective on the firm-level performance effects of diversity. We review the results of research on diversity and firm performance based on the level of analysis at which diversity was examined, highlighting what we know and do not know about this relationship, and why a new approach to research in this area is …

Innovating At Cultural Crossroads: How Multicultural Social Networks Promote Ideas Flow And Creativity, Roy Y. J. Chua

Roy CHUA

Diversity in social networks is often linked to enhanced creativity. Emerging research on exposure to diverse informational resources (e.g., ideas and knowledge) however has painted a more complex picture regarding its effect on individuals’ creative performance. This research examines the effects of culturally diverse networks on the flow of ideas and individuals’ creativity. Combining social network analysis with experimental methods, two studies using different samples found that a culturally diverse network increases the likelihood of receiving culture-related novel ideas (but not other types of novel ideas) from network contacts, whether or not these contacts share one’s own culture of origin. …

The Language Of Bias: A Linguistic Approach To Understanding Intergroup Relations, Quinetta M. Roberson, Bradford S. Bell, Shanette C. Porter

Bradford S Bell

[Excerpt] This chapter explores the role of language in the relationship between diversity and team performance. Specifically, we consider how a linguistic approach to social categorization may be used to study the social psychological mechanisms that underlie diversity effects. Using the results of a study examining the effects of gender, ethnicity and tenure on language abstraction, we consider the potential implications for team processes and effectiveness. In addition, we propose a revised team input-process-output model that highlights the potential effects of language on team processes. We conclude by suggesting directions for future research linking diversity, linguistic categorization and team effectiveness.

Diversity And Team Learning: The Impact Of Faultlines And Psychological Safety, Joyce Rupert, Karen A. Jehn

Karen A. Jehn

In this field study, we investigated 186 members of 70 management teams and tested the relationship between perceptions of team members 'fault lines' (hypothetical dividing lines in a team under diverse features) and different types of team learning task, process and social learning. From the results showed that when team members fault lines experienced fewer learning task in the team took place. This relationship was mediated by psychological safety. This study complements the literature on team learning, by demonstrating that experienced on different fault lines ways related to team learning, depending on the topic learning relates. In addition, an apparent …

A Body Of Consensus: The Church As Embodied Organization, Vaughan S. Roberts

Vaughan S Roberts

Umberto Eco And The "Habit" Of Family Communion, Vaughan S. Roberts

Vaughan S Roberts