Diversity, Social Identity, and Team Dynamics in Organizations

Idea of diversity tension

The tension between wanting homogeneity (easier coordination, shared understanding) vs. needing diversity (fresh perspectives, innovation).

Business case for diversity

Diverse groups outperform homogeneous groups of high-ability individuals.

Super-additivity

The whole is greater than the sum of parts.

Cognitive diversity

Different perspectives, heuristics, interpretations that drive better problem-solving.

Katherine Phillips on diversity

Diversity disrupts comfortable groupthink and forces deeper thinking and consideration of alternative viewpoints.

Social Identity Theory

People derive part of their self-concept from their membership in social groups.

In-group favoritism

We favor members of our own groups.

Out-group homogeneity

We see out-group members as 'all the same' but recognize diversity within our in-groups.

Identity salience

Which identity matters depends on context.

Master Status/Foreground Identity

Visible social identities (age, race, gender) that society immediately uses to categorize people.

Minority status and stereotype threat

Minority status creates additional cognitive burden; stereotype threat is the fear of confirming negative stereotypes about your group.

Surface-level vs. deep-level differences

Surface-level: Observable (age, race, gender); Deep-level: Values, attitudes, beliefs, personality.

Interpersonal congruence

The degree to which team members accurately understand each other's identities and perspectives.

Stereotypes and diverse teams

Identity-diverse teams perform poorly when members hold stereotypical views of each other.

Implicit Association Test (IAT)

Measures unconscious associations between concepts and reveals biases we consciously reject.

Implicit bias

Automatic, unconscious attitudes and stereotypes that affect judgments and behavior without awareness.

In-group favoritism in hiring

Unconsciously preferring people similar to ourselves in hiring, promotions, and resource allocation.

Traditional diversity training

Doesn't work because it focuses only on conscious, deliberate bias and assumes awareness alone creates change.

What works in diversity training

Awareness of unconscious bias, data collection, environmental design, accountability systems, perspective-taking exercises.

Successful teams characteristics

Small size, complementary skills, common purpose & performance goals, clear working approach, mutual accountability.

Hackman's misperception #1

Harmony helps; reality: productive conflict generates better solutions.

Hackman's misperception #2

It's good to mix it up; reality: stable teams perform better.

Hackman's misperception #3

Bigger is better; reality: small teams are more efficient.

Hackman's misperception #4

Face-to-face is passé; reality: remote teams are at a disadvantage.

Leadership impact breakdown

60% = Condition-creating (structure, resources, clear objectives), 30% = Quality of launch, 10% = Real-time coaching

Teamwork

Requires careful preparation - clear objectives, adequate resources, organizational support.

Workgroups

Individual accountability, individual work products

Teams

Collective accountability, collective work products, interdependent tasks

Stages of group development

Forming: Polite, uncertain, testing boundaries; Storming: Conflict, competition for roles/status; Norming: Establishing norms, cohesion develops; Performing: Productive, focused on goals; Adjourning: Disbanding, reflection

Carmill Model

When teams hit destructive cycles, they can go back to storming (renegotiate objectives) or move forward to new challenge (restart cycle)

Task roles

Goal-oriented (initiator, information-seeker, coordinator)

Maintenance roles

Relationship-oriented (encourager, harmonizer, gatekeeper)

Debilitating roles

Destructive (aggressor, blocker, dominator)

Pentland's research on successful teams

Team success can be predicted by measuring communication patterns - not what people say, but how they communicate.

Five Patterns of Successful Teams

Everyone talks and listens in roughly equal measure; No dominant voices or silent members; Contributions are concise and to the point; Democratic participation; Members face one another, with energetic conversations and gestures.

Psychological safety

Team climate where people feel safe to take interpersonal risks—speak up, admit mistakes, ask questions, challenge ideas—without fear of embarrassment or punishment.

Key Findings from Google's Project Aristotle

The #1 predictor of high-performing teams was psychological safety - team members feeling safe to take risks and be vulnerable in front of each other.

Separation diversity

Differences in position/opinion (horizontal—e.g., political views)

Variety diversity

Differences in kind/category (different expertise, backgrounds)

Disparity diversity

Differences in concentration of valued resources (power, status, pay)

What Leaders Often Get Wrong

Assuming silence = agreement or satisfaction; Punishing bearers of bad news (even subtly); Not explicitly inviting input; Failing to model vulnerability.

Building Psychological Safety as a Leader

Setting the Stage: Frame work realistically; Emphasize purpose and stakes; Make the case for voice explicitly.

Responding Productively

Express appreciation for speaking up; Destigmatize failure; Sanction clear violations while supporting learning.

Psychological Safety + Accountability

High psychological safety + low accountability = comfort zone; Low psychological safety + high accountability = anxiety zone; High psychological safety + high accountability = learning zone.

Measuring Psychological Safety

If you make a mistake on this team, it is often held against you; Members of this team are able to bring up problems and tough issues.

Why Diverse Teams Should Excel

More perspectives, knowledge, approaches; Better problem-solving through variety; Broader networks and experiences.

Why Diverse Teams Often Fail

Communication challenges; Coordination costs; Conflict; Trust deficits; Status differences.