Maximizing the gains and minimizing the pains of diversity - Galinsky et al. - 2015 - Article


The benefits of diversity

Scientific evidence shows that diversity has material benefits for organizations, communities, and countries. Diversity increases creativity and innovation, improves the quality of decisions, and strengthens economic growth. These positive effects are achieved through deeper information processing and complex thinking. Using complex thinking, various groups can respond more effectively to dynamic contexts and challenges. Diversity is particularly important when the policy or decisions concern a population that is diverse, because the diversity then better meets the wishes of the population. However, dealing with people from different backgrounds can also cause distrust and conflict. As a result, the benefits of diversity are not always realized. This article looks at how the benefits of diversity can best be protected and promoted.

Diversity in groups, communities, and countries

Groups with a lot of diversity are more innovative and make better decisions. There are two reasons for this. First, these groups have access to a wider variety of perspectives. Secondly, individuals view more information and process this information deeper.

Diversity in personal experiences

Individuals also benefit from personal experiences with diversity. Research shows that various personal experiences are associated with higher creativity, more entrepreneurial activity, deeper information processing, greater perspective, and less interethnic tension. These effects occur because learning about other cultures and integrating information stimulates deeper information processing and complex thinking.

Promoting transparency

The degree of diversity is often limited by structural and psychological factors. Policies can be introduced that can help increase diversity by promoting equal treatment in organizations. The degree of diversity in organizations is influenced by recruitment, selection and promotion procedures. Within these phases of recruitment, selection and promotion, policies can be introduced to stimulate transparency.

The recruitment phase is very important because individuals often refrain from applying because they think they will not be hired. Policies must be put in place during the selection and promotion phases to ensure that the hiring and promotion of staff is carried out impartially. This policy must aim to increase transparency. This can be done by monitoring, publishing contracting procedures, publishing salaries, and regularly reviewing the criteria.

Managing diversity

Without effective management, diversity can lead to conflicts. Effective management must be focused on maximizing the benefits of diversity and minimizing losses. The way in which this management is presented is of great importance because it influences whether people will accept management or not. With regard to race and ethnicity, emphasizing the benefits of multiculturalism in managing diversity effectively. Multiculturalism can do this because it gives a positive appreciation to intergroup differences. People who are more multicultural often have more accurate perceptions of other groups, have fewer ethnic prejudices, and easier interracial interactions. In addition, multiculturalism encourages underrepresented individuals to participate more actively in work and achieve higher academic performance.

Diversity problems, solutions, and policy recommendations

  • Group homogeneity ensures narrow-mindedness and group thinking. One solution is to increase diversity in groups, communities, and nations to stimulate deeper information processing and complex thinking. One can do this through immigration policies that promote diversity in skill, knowledge, and experience.
  • Lack of experience and contact with other cultures can have negative consequences for creativity, decision making, and mutual trust. A solution is to increase the possibilities for cross-cultural contact and experiences abroad. One can do this by subsidizing programs to study abroad.
  • Prejudices in the recruitment, selection and promotion of staff ensure a less diverse workforce. A solution is to reduce explicit and implicit prejudices, by increasing transparency and clear reporting. An example of how one can do that is by ensuring that selection committees themselves are also diverse.
  • Diversity can cause an increase in resistance, distrust, and conflict. One solution is to promote inclusive multiculturalism and perspective, so that one can effectively use diversity. One way in which this can be achieved is in education, by paying attention to the positive characteristics of multiculturalism.
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