HRM_L8

Question 1

What does diversity in teams mean?

Define.

Answer 1

Diversity =
A group characteristic that reflects the degree to which there are objective or subjective
differences among members.

Question 2

Does diversity (different types) improve or impair team effectiveness?
Diversity and Creativity/Innovation:

Name the two types and how they affect creativity and innovation.

Answer 2

Surface-level diversity is not linked to team creativity or innovation.
- It has a negative effect on simple tasks

Deep-level diversity positively impacts team creativity and innovation.
- Especially for…Non-virtual teams and Interdependent tasks

Question 3

Does diversity improve or impair team effectiveness?
Diversity as an informational resource:

1. Name source of diversity.
2. What is crucial about it?
3. What kind of process is it and what does that mean?

Answer 3

1. • Information distribution among team members is a source of diversity
   • Diverse groups can mobilize their informational resources to achieve positive outcomes.
2. • Information elaboration is crucial: Exchange, discussion, and integration of task-relevant information.
3. • Motivated process
     – Team members deliberately select what information to mention and how to mention it to particular members

Question 4

Does diversity improve or impair team effectiveness?
Representation of information sharing:

1. Characterise information sharing (two chracteristics).
2. Elaborate on these two points and how they affect team performance.

Answer 4

• Uniqueness: Discussion of previously unshared information
  – Variability in how many members have access to a piece of information
  – Captures the extent to which teams are utilizing members’ distinctive knowledge sets.
  – Predictive of team performance.
• Openness: Breadth of information discussed during tasks and decision-making
  – Information exchange (communication) related to goals, progress, coordination, etc.
  – Promotes trust and cohesion (indirectly increases team performance)

Question 5

Does diversity improve or impair team effectiveness?
Hidden-profile paradigm:

What is it and what does it lead to?

Answer 5

• Instead of sharing all information, team members consistently focus on shared information.
• This bias produces suboptimal team decisions.

Groups are not able to take advantage of the unique knowledge and expertise of their members.

Question 6

Does virtuality improve or impair team effectiveness?

Model of team virtuality

Explain the model. (Name the three main parts).

Answer 6

Team Virtuality has three dimensions:

• Extent of Use of Virtual Tools: How much does the team rely on digital tools over face-to-face interaction?
• Informational Value: How valuable is the information conveyed by virtual tools?
• Synchronicity: How frequently are rich, synchronous tools (e.g., video calls, live chats) used for communication?

Question 7

Does virtuality improve or impair team effectiveness?

Virtuality and information sharing

1. Explain how virtuality affects different types of information sharing.
2. Which of these two types of information sharing is more important in which setting.
3. Explain how the effects change with increasing virtuality.

Answer 7

1. • Virtuality improves the sharing of unique information.
   • Virtuality hinders the openness of information sharing.
2. • Unique information sharing is more important to the performance of face-to-face teams than open information sharing.
   • Open information sharing is more important to the performance of virtual teams than unique information sharing.
3. • Effects of virtuality on information sharing are more curvilinear: Low levels of virtuality improve information sharing, but high levels hinder it.

[The thing the virtuality improves (hinders), is what is more important in face-to-face (virtual) teams. -> virtuality does the opposite of what is optimal.]

Question 8

What can you (as leaders) do to improve functioning in virtual teams?

Name five points.

Answer 8

• Encourage self-management and autonomy
• Clearly define mission, roles, and expectations
• Foster team cohesion & open information sharing
• Provide regular and effective feedback
• Facilitate effective use of technology

Question 9

Challenges of Diversity in Teams

1. What is the main problem caused by diversity?
2. What does it cause?
3. How does it affect efficiency and information elaboration?

Answer 9

1. • Diversity creates uncertainty about how team members will behave.
2. • This increases reliance on stereotypes and social categorization (team members focus on differences)
3. • It can aid efficiency but also hinder information elaboration and lead to incorrect decisions.

Question 10

Diversity interventions

1. Name two different interventions.
2. What consequences might these have?
3. What can we conclude from this?

Answer 10

1. • Unconscious bias training
   • Mentorship for underrepresented groups, etc.
2. • Some efforts might have unintended consequences
     – Promoting stereotypes
     – Reducing personal responsibility
     – Fueling the perception of undeserved preference
     – Creating tokens
3. • No one-fits-all approach
   • Diversity interventions should rely on empirical evidence

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Question 11

What can you (as leaders) do to improve diversity management?
Imagine: You’re leading a new team or welcoming a new member. How would you effectively manage uncertainty within the team?

Name the two main things you can do.

Answer 11

• Reframing Uncertainty as an Opportunity and Establish Inclusive Norms
• Cultivate (Team) Mindfulness

Question 12

What are characteristics that can create diversity?

Answer 12

• Demographic characteristics: Age, gender, ethnicity, …
• Job-related factors: Educational background, functional background, tenure, …
• Deep-level characteristics: Personality, attitudes, values, ….

Question 13

Challenges of Diversity in Teams (Part 2)

1. How can diversity make members feel?
2. What happens when members seek security in familiar groups?
3. What can occur and what does it stem from?

Answer 13

1. • Teams satisfy the psychological need to belong, but diversity can make members feel excluded if they perceive themselves as different
2. • When team members seek security in familiar groups, exclusion and subgroup formation occur.
3. • E.g., microaggressions can stem from (unconscious) identity threats

Question 14

How can this be done?
- Reframing Uncertainty as an Opportunity and Establish Inclusive Norms

Name the three main ways.

Answer 14

– Foster a positive diversity mindset: set expectations that new and diverse members bring valuable perspectives.
– Integrate team-building activities and “getting to know each other” sessions.
– Prevent rigid adherence to existing group norms by embracing adaptability.

Question 15

How can this be done?
- Cultivate (Team) Mindfulness

Name two main ways.

Answer 15

– Encourage members to share thoughts and feelings without passing judgment.
– Help team members update perceptions over time, leading to more accurate attributions of each others’ intentions and competence.

Question 16

What do Organisations struggle with in the context of diversity and what is key to addressing that?

Answer 16

→ Organizations struggle with fostering diverse yet inclusive teams.
→ Addressing underlying uncertainty is key to fostering true inclusion.