Final published version, 552 KB, PDF document
Research output: Working paper
Research output: Working paper
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TY - UNPB
T1 - The impact of diversity on group and individual performance
AU - Homroy, Swarnodeep
AU - Soo, Kwok Tong
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Using data on a student group project in which groups are exogenously formed, we examine the potential productivity gains from employing work-teams which are diverse in terms of gender, nationality and ability. We find no significant effect of diversity on overall team performance, except when the team members are from different socio-cultural backgrounds. More importantly, we find that students who have worked in more diverse teams experience a subsequent improvement in individual productivity. These individual productivity gains hold for both domestic and foreign students, and for students of different levels of ability. Our results suggest a mechanism by which diversity enhances individual and collective performance.
AB - Using data on a student group project in which groups are exogenously formed, we examine the potential productivity gains from employing work-teams which are diverse in terms of gender, nationality and ability. We find no significant effect of diversity on overall team performance, except when the team members are from different socio-cultural backgrounds. More importantly, we find that students who have worked in more diverse teams experience a subsequent improvement in individual productivity. These individual productivity gains hold for both domestic and foreign students, and for students of different levels of ability. Our results suggest a mechanism by which diversity enhances individual and collective performance.
KW - Group composition
KW - diversity
KW - performance
M3 - Working paper
T3 - Economics Working Paper Series
BT - The impact of diversity on group and individual performance
PB - Lancaster University, Department of Economics
CY - Lancaster
ER -