Asked by Marlon Amador on Jul 19, 2024
Verified
What effect does member diversity have on a team?
Member Diversity
The presence of a variety of demographic, cultural, and personal differences among the members of a team or organization.
Team Effect
The impact or outcome resulting from the collective effort and dynamics of a group working together towards a common goal.
- Analyze the impact of member diversity on team performance.
Verified Answer
SP
Simon PannettJul 23, 2024
Final Answer :
Student answers may vary. The extent to which members vary with regard to personality, demographic attributes (e.g., age, gender, ethnic identity, education), and functional specialization has implications for group processes and outcomes. Groups with diverse membership are likely to be less cohesive, because people tend to be less accepting of others who have different beliefs, values, and traditions. Diversity can also impede communication when members use different language, jargon, measures, or criteria. On the positive side, having members with different perspectives, experiences, and knowledge can result in more creative solutions to problems. The importance of diversity for group performance varies somewhat for different types of groups and different situations. It is easier to convert diversity into cooperative problem solving when members are highly interdependent for attainment of important shared objectives, but making it happen is a major leadership challenge. A leader with authority to select members can try to select members who are diverse in terms of their background and relevant knowledge.
Learning Objectives
- Analyze the impact of member diversity on team performance.
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