Rebel Ideas: Matthew Syed Flashcards
What is the main argument of Chapter One regarding diversity in organizations?
Diversity enhances effectiveness and helps organizations tackle modern challenges.
What did Professor Chad Sparber’s study find about racial diversity in organizations?
An increase in racial diversity of one standard deviation increased productivity by more than 25%.
What was the return on equity difference for firms with high gender and ethnic diversity according to McKinsey?
66% higher in Germany and the UK; 100% higher in the US.
How does cultural background affect perception according to the text?
Perception is shaped by culture, not just biology.
What did the 2001 experiment by Nisbett and Masuda reveal about Japanese and American participants?
Americans focused on objects; Japanese focused on context.
What does the story of the two fish illustrate about awareness?
It illustrates perspective blindness and habitual modes of thought.
What is the concept of homophily?
The tendency for people to seek out or be attracted to those who are similar to themselves.
What is cognitive diversity?
Differences in thoughts, insights, and perspectives.
What is demographic diversity?
Differences in race, gender, and class.
What should be the first step when tackling a problem?
‘What are the gaps in our collective understanding that could impact our ability to tackle this problem?’
What is the ‘Wisdom of Crowds’?
The concept that a group of diverse individuals can collectively make more accurate predictions than experts.
What is a Schelling point?
A focal point solution that people tend to choose by default in the absence of communication.
What was the impact of dominance hierarchies on decision-making in organizations?
They prevent rebel ideas from being expressed and create an uneven communication problem.
What does the acronym HIPPO stand for?
Highest Paid Person’s Opinion.
What is the Uneven Communication Problem?
High-status individuals dominate discussions, skewing group dynamics.
What is psychological safety?
A culture that allows individuals to feel safe to express diverse ideas.
What technique did Amazon use to encourage diverse opinions in meetings?
Golden silence - 30 minutes of reading before discussions.
What is brainwriting?
A technique where individuals write opinions anonymously and share them without identifying themselves.
What is assumption reversal?
A creative process that challenges conventional assumptions.
What is recombinant innovation?
The fusion of ideas from different fields to create novel solutions.
How did immigrants contribute to innovation in companies?
They often adopt an outsider mindset, bridging different cultures.
What is the relationship between diversity and the emergence of new ideas?
New ideas emerge from complex interactions within diverse networks.
What was the technological state of Tasmania compared to Silicon Valley?
Tasmania had primitive technology due to isolation; Silicon Valley facilitated interactions and innovation.
What is recombination in the context of learning?
Recombination is about breaking down barriers between people, allowing for accidental interactions that facilitate learning.
Who is Derek Black and what transformation did he undergo?
Derek Black was part of the white supremacy movement who had his ideas transformed while attending Bethel College, demonstrating how smaller colleges can foster social change.
What are filter bubbles?
Filter bubbles are a phenomenon where personalization and algorithms limit access to diverse viewpoints.
What is the difference between information bubbles and echo chambers?
Information bubbles isolate individuals to only their side of an argument, while echo chambers include epistemic walls that challenge the quality and meaning of information.
What is ad hominem?
Ad hominem is a fallacious argumentative strategy that attacks the character or motive of a person instead of the substance of their argument.
What is the conceptual flaw discussed in Chapter Six regarding human diversity?
The flaw is treating people as manifestations of a mythical average rather than recognizing human diversity.
What was the effect of redesigning cockpits for pilots?
Redesigning cockpits to fit individual body shapes significantly reduced the number of crashes in the US Air Force.
What does the diet industry illustrate about individual responses to food?
Blood sugar responses vary greatly among individuals, showing that dietary effects cannot be generalized.
What correlation was found regarding browser choice in organizations?
Employees who switched from Internet Explorer or Safari to Chrome or Firefox showed higher productivity and sales.
How does the book ‘Invisible Women’ relate to design and gender?
It highlights that many designs, such as piano keys and police body armor, are based on the average male, neglecting women’s needs.
What key difference distinguishes Homo sapiens from Neanderthals?
Homo sapiens had larger social groups, which facilitated the density of ideas and skills, giving them an advantage.
What is dual inheritance in humans?
Dual inheritance refers to humans inheriting both genes and a growing body of ideas, unlike other primates.
What impact does social learning have on children compared to other primates?
Human children excel in social learning, scoring 100% in tests, while most other apes score 0%.
What strategy increased the number of female players in major orchestras?
Holding auditions behind screens increased female representation from 5% to nearly 40%.
What is groupthink?
Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon where a consensus leads to collective fixation on a specific idea, ignoring alternative viewpoints.
What was the decision-making error made during the UK’s lockdown response?
The consensus focused on treating coronavirus like flu, failing to consider its distinct properties.
