Diversity of member composition and team learning in organizations

While demographic characteristics such as age, race and gender evoke social categorization processes about diversity that may result in unfavorable team processes and outcomes, psychological characteristics such as learning style can evoke diversity of thought leading to enhanced team performance. To expand how we realize the potential of diversity, this dissertation uses responses from 33 organizational teams from 6 different industries to examine team diversity effects on the team learning process: defined as a cycle of idea creation, planning, decision-making, and implementation. The implications team learning has on outcomes related to member disagreements on how task accomplishment occurs and how well the team meets its goals and satisfies client needs are also investigated.;Using survey methods, this is the first research to empirically examine the impact of demographic diversity and learning style diversity in one study. Drawing on theory and research related to team demography, team and experiential learning, team conflict and performance; a model of the relationship between team member diversity and the team learning process and outcomes of conflict and performance are created to guide hypothesis generation.;The hypothesis that the diversity of member composition influences the team learning process is partially supported. Results suggest that learning style diversity is significant and positively related to the team learning process and performance and to the item, "our team achieves its goals." Although, correlations between demographic diversity and the overall performance index are not significant, one item in the index, an occurrence of critical quality errors, is positive and significant. Results also reveal that the team learning process is positively associated with team performance and is higher when the team's task is non-routine. This study further extends research linking process-related conflict and team performance. Learning style diversity is significantly correlated with the lack of process conflict. Lastly, the team learning process and lack of process conflict are significantly related to team performance.;Overall the results suggest that demographic diversity tends to produce moderate levels of process conflict and impede team performance while learning style diversity is strongly related to conflict management and performance. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.;Keywords. team learning; experiential learning; learning styles; embedded intergroup; social identity; team conflict; team effectiveness; social and organizational psychology...