T2 w. 6 Diversity and Culture

Question 1

(Brett, Behfar, & Kern, 2006)

Answer 1

Managing multicultural teams

Question 2

Challenge in managing multicultural teams is

Answer 2

to recognise the underlying cultural causes of the conflict

Question 3

Challenges faced in managing teams

Answer 3

1) Direct vs Indirect Communication
2) Troubles with accents and fluency
3) Differing attitudes towards hierarchy and authority
4) Conflicting norms for decision making

Question 4

1) Direct vs Indirect Communication

Answer 4

More direct & explicit in Western cultures
In other cultures, more meaning can sometimes be gained from indirect forms of communication (behaviours, preferences/lack of), makes it easier for non-western cultures to get direct info, whilst harder for western cultures to glean this info.

Question 5

2) Troubles with accents and fluency

Answer 5

Tendency to view nonnative english speakers as less intelligent or capable. Native speakers dominate meetings more and sometimes have less regard for non-native speakers feedback due to fluency issues
If teammates frustrated from lack of fluency, interpersonal tensions can arise

Question 6

3) Differing attitudes towards hierarchy and authority

Answer 6

Whilst teams have a pretty flat structure, people from dif. Cultures perceive differing hierarchies to exist within the team, ie, in Mexico supposed to be super humble, ask questions out of respect when discussing things instead of just stating a fact, korea, can’t complain to a higher hierarchy without going to your own level first

Question 7

4) Conflicting norms for decision making

Answer 7

Cultures super different in how they make decisions + the time frame
Ie, US like to make decisions quickly w. Little analysis compared to other countries
The US can’t impose their ways on others, firms in some cultures may not disclose more info until they understand scope of project fully
Best solution is to make minor concessions

Question 8

Strategies to overcome challenges in managing diverse & multicultural teams

Answer 8

1. adaptation
2. structural intervention
3. managerial intervention
4. exit

Question 9

how should approach these challenges?

Answer 9

identify the type of challenge

Assess the circumstances (‘enabling conditions’ under which the team is working)

• –Ie is there flexibility for change or this is impossible due to deadlines?
• –Are there other resources that can be tapped into?

Question 10

1. adaptation

Answer 10

Acknowledge cultural gaps openly & work around them

Fusion approach- using differing approaches to reach a higher-decision

Question 11

2. structural intervention

Answer 11

Changing the shape of the team, deliberate reorganisation to reduce interpersonal friction/remove source of conflict for 1/more groups
(ie, Could create smaller working groups of mixed cultures/corporate identities to get info that’s not forthcoming from whole team
ie for women in Japan wouldn’t participate as group got larger/if male superior was present)

Question 12

what’s the risk of doing structural intervention?

Answer 12

risky though bc it could put ppl that don’t work well together → must ensure all subgroups function well as a whole

Question 13

3. managerial intervention

Answer 13

Setting norms early or bringing in high level manager. For when a manager who makes the final decision like a judge (they don’t get insight into why team has stalemated)

Question 14

4. exit

Answer 14

Removing team member when other options have failed- last resort!

Question 15

The Double Edged Sword of Diversity: Toward a dual pathway model

Answer 15

(Carter & Phillips, 2017)

Question 16

diversity

Answer 16

the degree to which there are objective or subjective differences between people (van Knippenberg & Schippers, 2007)

Question 17

iceberg analogy for diversity

Answer 17

surface level (ethnicity, race, gender, age)
Deep level (communicated verbally & non-verbally, through extended, individualised interaction & info gathering, ie values, education, culture, sexual orientation, beliefs, personality)

Question 18

deep level cultures

Answer 18

unconscious rules, emotional level = intense

Question 19

trends to influence diversity in Australian workplaces

Answer 19

Workplaces expected to become more diverse, more and more international students
Proportion of women in paid work continues to grow
Five generations will be working side by side
More international students

Question 20

need to embrace diversity in order to

Answer 20

enhance potential for workplace innovation

Question 21

inclusion

Answer 21

taking into account the diverse identities, knowledge, skills, attributes, and preferences of different individuals, so we can all excel and contribute towards collective organizational objectives

Question 22

When do people feel included

Answer 22

their experiences satisfy their need for both belonging and being unique
Belongingness – feeling accepted as a member of the group
Uniqueness – the group accepts and values individual characteristics
Ie respecting an older employee due to their extensive knowledge of the company

Whereas diversity is often referred to as “the mix”, or the make-up of groups and organisations, inclusion is about “making the mix work.”
Inclusion focuses on how to respect, better utilise, and recognise diversity. Making the mix work!

Question 23

culture

Answer 23

is “…the commonly shared beliefs, values, and norms of a group of people” (Northouse, 2007, p. 338), “…the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group from another” (Hofstede 1984)

Question 24

Socialisation

Answer 24

being able to recognise and appreciate differences in others first requires a good understanding of yourself as an individual and your own personal context, which includes all the things that make you who you are today

Question 25

Frames of glasses-

Answer 25

big picture ideas about social groups, race, religion
How we see the world individually- the lens
But the glasses themselves represent the interplay btw ourselves & with social groups

Question 26

What we may view as ‘facts’ may be actually from

Answer 26

our socialisation and upbringing

Our identities are shaped by how others see and respond to us

Question 27

Social categorisation and perceptions

Answer 27

Diversity can be paradoxical – an increased awareness of diversity can sometimes advertently or inadvertently lead to discrimination based on social categorisation:

Question 28

cognitive discrimination

Answer 28

individual level, conscious or unconscious based on perceived differences, cognitive biases, and subsequent thoughts and behaviours

Question 29

structural discrimination

Answer 29

societal level, systematic, lack of resources & opportunities leads to un= distribution of wealth & power btw different groups on the basis of social categorisations

Question 30

steroetypes

Answer 30

cognitive schemas about a concept, or type of stimulus, and its attributes.

Question 31

Social categorisation

Answer 31

categorisation based on observed similarities and differences between groups of people.
Leads to social identification as a member (or non member) of a group
In groups - we belong to
Out groups - all other groups
When we identify in a group we distinguish from other groups to boost the groups

Question 32

social identity theory

Answer 32

Social categorisation leads to social identification as a member (or non-member) of a group In-groups = groups we belong to Out-groups = all other groups

Question 33

Social identity theory: 3 common cognitive biases and errors

Answer 33

In-group favouritism (the tendency to more positively evaluate in-group than out-group members)

Fundamental attribution error (attributing negative behaviours of out-group members as inherent to them, and those of in-group members to situational factors)

Intergroup differentiation (perceiving more in-group and out-group differences than there are)

Question 34

Similarity-attraction principles

Answer 34

• –People gravitate towards others perceived to be similar to themselves
• –Perceived similarity leads to attraction
• –More likely to hire people perceived to have similar leadership styles, attitudes, or even those of the same gender and race, rather than based on objective selection criteria.
• –Can lead to unconscious/conscious discrimination

Question 35

stereotyping effects

Answer 35

Stereotypes: the belief that certain traits/characteristics are shared by all members of a specific social group
cognitive schemas, shortcuts or heuristics
influence expectations and processing of social information (we process info that affirms our stereotypes more quickly and easily than info that doesn’t, can lead to the cycle of strengthening the stereotypes)
can become self-fulfilling prophecies
Stereotype threat- perceived stereotype creates anxiety and hinders performance, strengthening fear of the stereotype

Question 36

cultural competence

Answer 36

the ability to participate ethically and effectively in personal and professional intercultural settings. It requires being aware of one’s own cultural values and worldview and their implications for making respectful, reflective and reasoned choices, including the capacity to imagine and collaborate across cultural boundaries.” (NCCC, 2014)

Question 37

Moving beyond the awareness and acceptance of cultural diversity, towards

Answer 37

cultural competence, will better enable you “to work productively, collaboratively and openly in diverse groups and across cultural boundaries”

Question 38

features of Diverse and inclusive workplaces:

Answer 38

Increase employee commitment, job satisfaction and productivity
decrease turnover, absenteeism and discrimination lawsuits
Attract and retain best workers
Stay ahead of the competition

Question 39

Diversity thought of as a

Answer 39

double edged sword: Reducing social cohesion and increasing relationship conflict on one hand, whilst enhancing creativity and innovation on the other

Question 40

surface level diversity

Answer 40

race, gender

Question 41

deep-level diveristy

Answer 41

cognitive

Question 42

social categorism normally …. & is linked to what

Answer 42

occurs automatically,

linked to social identification theories, basically to maintain a positive self-view, individuals compare themselves to others, and to do this, they must be able to define themselves –> classify themselves and others into categories

Question 43

what are the consequences of social categorisation?

Answer 43

1) members of other categories or groups are seen as more different
2)Leads to liking people in same group, and out-group derogation (negative views)
Thus, diverse groups → lower member satisfaction and cohesion, worse communication, higher levels of conflict → Traditionally, mostly negative

Question 44

implicit bias

Answer 44

unconscious negative feelings and beliefs towards disadvantaged group.

Question 45

who is subject to implicit bias

Answer 45

women, people of colour as they enter more previously white & male dominated working environments

Question 46

implicit bias impedes problem-solving efficiency due to

Answer 46

mixed signals between verbal and non-verbal behaviour

Question 47

group fault lines focuses on

Answer 47

complex intersections of multiple dimensions of difference that result from social categorisation processes (categories essentially ‘cross-over’)

eg, mixed gender group of white AND black people → if all female members are black, all males are white → two distinct groups, but normally subgroups aren’t so clear

Question 48

consequences of strong fault lines

Answer 48

Relational difficulties and diminished cohesion & performance

Question 49

how can fault lines be positive?

Answer 49

factors that make social category distinctions more obvious will likely be bad → factors that unify group members along task-relevant goals are likely to be good/better
Gender and background differences→ bad performance, when low shared obj.

Question 50

Intersectionality →

Answer 50

impact of multiple social identities within a single individual
eg, ethnic minority women face race & gender challenges

Question 51

researches shows that people facing intersectionality of discrimination are often

Answer 51

invisible, ie given more behavioural latitude and escape active forms of discrimination whilst facing greater marginalisation & social exclusion (seen as insignificant)

Question 52

social attraction =

Answer 52

Social force that pulls individuals towards one another

Question 53

social attraction theory suggests

Answer 53

individuals have more positive feelings and want to interact with similar people more than different people

Occurs due to positive reinforcement that similarity provides for one’s own attributes
Facilitates ease of communication and enjoyment for same-group interactions, but is detrimental within diverse groups

Question 54

Diverse groups have lower

Answer 54

levels of interpersonal liking and social cohesion and ineffective communication

Question 55

what does the Information and decision-making framework assume

Answer 55

people in diverse groups belong to different networks and groups. Group diversity increases access to a variety of skills, experiences and information which may enhance performance on tasks that benefit from

Question 56

traditional view on diversity and decision making

Answer 56

Deep-level diversity is more beneficial for performance than surface level
more recent research → diversity can facilitate better performance by also changing the way information is processed and exchanged by group members
Surface-level demographic diversity can also boost performance

Question 57

Individuals more open to

Answer 57

differences in opinions when they either come from, or can be shared in the presence of people who are ‘different’

Question 58

Diversity can change individual behaviour due to

Answer 58

their expectations of difference

Question 59

More diverse groups –>

Answer 59

less social interaction, more focus on task and effort

Question 60

Dual Pathway Model of Diversity (Carter & Phillips, 2017)

Answer 60

—This model features similarity-attraction as an important outcome of social categorisation

—Argues that social categorisation & resulting forces of similarity attraction are necessary prerequisites for eliciting beneficial information and decision making processes that benefit group performance

Question 61

quick summary of Carter & Phillips, 2017)

Answer 61

argues that diversity sparks processes of social categorization and as a result, forces of similarity-attraction whereby individuals are more drawn to similar in-group members compared to dissimilar out-group members.

When intergroup bias is activated, this can unleash problematic group processes that undermine performance.

However, when bias is not activated, social categorisation and forces of similarity-attraction allow individuals in diverse groups to focus less on forming relationships and to instead extend effort in anticipation of task-relevant differences in opinions and perspectives. When this balance is found, the benefits of diversity over homogeneity become clear

Question 62

Managing multicultural teams

Answer 62

(Brett, Behfar, & Kern, 2006)