Exploring Opportunities in Cultural Diversity†
Abstract
In economics and political science, there is evidence from large cross-sectional datasets and field experiments that neighborhoods, villages, cities, and countries with higher levels of cultural diversity have lower levels of generalized trust, lower quality of public goods, and poorer economic performance. However, in social psychology, organizational behavior, and computer science, there is evidence that diverse populations are collectively better able to solve complex problems with creative solutions. The next generation of research, crucial for the globalized world that is undermining homogeneous communities, will utilize experimental research designs (such as those based on natural or quasi-natural experiments, laboratory experiments, and randomized experiments in controlled natural settings) to better understand the mechanisms sustaining underperformance of diverse communities and to identify interventions that enable community members to take advantage of the problem-solving promise of diversity to yield social and economic benefits.
References
- Adida, C. L., Laitin, D. D., & Valfort, M. (2010). Identifying barriers to Muslim integration in France. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 107, 384–390. doi:10.1073/pnas.1015550107
- Ager, P., & Bruckner, M. (2011). Cultural diversity and economic growth: Evidence from the US during the Age of Mass Migration. Manuscript in preparation. Retrieved from http://econpapers.repec.org/paper/adlwpaper/2011-02.htm.
- Alesina, A., Baqir, R., & Easterly, W. (1999). Public goods and ethnic divisions. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 114, 1243–1284. doi:10.1162/003355399556269
- Alesina, A., Devleeschauwer, A., Easterly, W., Kurlat, S., & Wacziarg, R. (2003). Fractionalization. Journal of Economic Growth, 8, 155–194. doi:10.2139/ssrn.319762
- Alesina, A., Harnoss, J., & Rapoport, H. (2013). Birthplace diversity and economic prosperity. Manuscript in preparation. Retrieved from http://www.nber.org/papers/w18699.
- Alesina, A., & La Ferrara, E. (2002). Who trusts others? Journal of Public Economics, 85, 207–234. doi:10.1016/S0047-2727(01)00084-6
- Alesina, A., & La Ferrara, E. (2005). Ethnic diversity and economic performance (pp. 762–800). XLIII: Journal of Economic Literature. doi:10.1257/002205105774431243
- Ashraf, Q., & Galor, O. (2013). The “Out of Africa” hypothesis, human genetic diversity, and comparative economic development. American Economic Review, 103, 1–46. doi:10.1257/aer.103.1.1
- Banerjee, A., Iyer, L., & Somanathan, R. (2005). History, social divisions, and public goods in rural India. Journal of the European Economic Association, 3, 639–647. doi:10.1162/1542476054473251
-
Becker, G. S. (1957). The economics of discrimination. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press
10.7208/chicago/9780226041049.001.0001
10.7208/chicago/9780226041049.001.0001 Google Scholar
- Bendor, J., & Page, S. E. (2013). Tool based problem solving: The value of specialists and diverse teams. Manuscript in preparation.
- Bertrand, M., & Mullainathan, S. (2004). Are Emily and Greg more employable than Lakisha and Jamal? American Economic Review, 94, 991–1013. doi:10.1257/0002828042002561
- Dahl, R. A. (1971). Polyarchy: Participation and opposition. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
- Easterly, W., & Levine, R. (1997). Africa's growth tragedy: Policies and ethnic divisions. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 111, 1203–1250. doi:10.1162/003355300555466
- Esteban, J., Mayoral, L., & Ray, D. (2012). Ethnicity and conflict: An empirical study. American Economic Review, 102, 1310–1342. doi:10.1257/aer.102.4.1310
- Fearon, J. D., & Laitin, D. D. (1996). Explaining interethnic cooperation. American Political Science Review, 90, 715–735. doi:10.2307/2945838
- Fearon, J. D., & Laitin, D. D. (2003). Ethnicity, insurgency, and civil war. American Political Science Review, 97, 75–90. doi:10.1017/S0003055403000534
- Glaeser, E., Laibson, D., Scheinkman, J., & Soutter, C. (2000). Measuring trust. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 115, 811–846. doi:10.1162/003355300554926
- Habyarimana, J., Humphreys, M., Posner, D. N., & Weinstein, J. M. (2007). Why does ethnic diversity undermine public goods provision? American Political Science Review, 101, 709–725. doi:10.1017/S0003055407070499
- Hoffman, L. R. (1959). Homogeneity of member personality and its effect on group problem solving. Journal of Abnormal Social Psychology, 58, 27–32. doi:10.1037/h0043499
- Hoffman, L. R., & Maier, N. R. (1961). Quality and acceptance of problem solutions by members of heterogeneous and homogeneous groups. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 62, 401–407. doi:10.1037/h0044025
- Hollowell, B. J. (2007). Examining the relationship between diversity and firm performance. Journal of Diversity Management, 2, 51–60. Retrieved from http://journals.cluteonline.com/index.php/JDM.
- Hong, L., & Page, S. E. (2001). Problem solving by heterogeneous agents. Journal of Economic Theory, 97, 123–163. doi:10.1006/jeth.2000.2709
- Hong, L., & Page, S. E. (2004). Groups of diverse problem solvers can outperform groups of high-ability problem solvers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 101, 16385–16389. doi:10.1073/pnas.0403723101
- Hoogendoorn, S., & van Praag, M. (2012). Ethnic diversity and team performance: A field experiment. Manuscript in preparation. Retrieved from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2105284.
- Horowitz, D. L. (1985). Ethnic groups in conflict. Berkeley: University of California Press.
- Jeon, S. (2014a). An Experimental Study of Diversity Management Techniques. Manuscript in preparation.
- Jeon, S. (2014b). Interethnic Complementarities and Decentralized Intergroup Cooperation. Manuscript in preparation.
-
Jha, S. (2007). Maintaining peace across ethnic lines: New lessons from the past. Economics of Peace and Security Journal, 2, 89–93. Retrieved from http://www.epsjournal.org.uk/.
10.15355/epsj.2.2.89 Google Scholar
- Jha, S. (2013). Trade, institutions, and ethnic tolerance: Evidence from South Asia. Manuscript in preparation. Retrieved from http://faculty-gsb.stanford.edu/jha/documents/SJhaTradeandInstitutions.pdf.
- Kent, R., & McGrath, J. (1969). Task and group characteristics as factors affecting group performance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 5, 429–440. Retrieved from http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-experimental-social-psychology/.
- Kochan, T., Bezrukova, K., Ely, R., Jackson, S., Joshi, A., Jehn, K., …, Thomas, D. (2003). The effects of diversity on business performance: Report of the diversity research network. Human Resource Management, 42, 3–21. 10.1002/hrm.10061
- Lazear, E. P. (1999). Globalisation and the market for team-mates. The Economic Journal, 109, C15–C40. doi:10.1111/1468-0297.00414
- Lijphart, A. (1977). Democracy in plural societies. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
- Mannix, E., & Neale, M. A. (2005). What differences make a difference? The promise and reality of diverse teams in organizations. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 6, 31–55. doi:10.1111/j.1529-1006.2005.00022.x
- McLeod, P. L., Lobel, S. A., & Cox, T. H. (1996). Ethnic diversity and creativity in small groups. Small Group Research, 27, 248–264. doi:10.1177/1046496496272003
- Miguel, E., & Gugerty, M. K. (2005). Ethnic diversity, social sanctions, and public goods in Kenya. Journal of Public Economics, 89, 2325–2368. doi:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2004.09.004
- Milliken, F. J., & Martins, L. L. (1996). Searching for common threads: Understanding the multiple effects of diversity in organizational groups. Academy of Management Review, 21, 402–433. doi:10.2307/258667
- Montalvo, J. G., & Reynal-Querol, M. (2005). Ethnic polarization, potential conflict, and civil wars. American Economic Review, 95, 796–816. doi:10.1257/0002828054201468
- Nemeth, C. J. (1986). Differential contributions of majority and minority influence. Psychological Review, 93, 23–32. doi:10.1037/0033-295x.93.1.23
- O'Reilly, C. A., Williams, K. Y., & Barsade, S. (1997). Demography and group performance: Does diversity help? Manuscript in preparation. Retrieved from https://gsbapps.stanford.edu/researchpapers/library/RP1426.pdf.
- Ortega, F., & Peri, G. (2012). The effect of trade and migration on income. Manuscript in preparation. Retrieved from http://www.nber.org/papers/w18193.
- Ottaviano, G. I., & Peri, G. (2006). The economic value of cultural diversity: Evidence from US cities. Journal of Economic Geography, 6, 9–44. doi:10.1093/jeg/lbi002
- Page, S. E. (2007). The difference: How the power of diversity creates better groups, firms, schools, and societies. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
- Page, S. E. (2011). Diversity and complexity. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
- Paluck, L. P., & Green, D. P. (2009). Prejudice reduction: What works? A review and assessment of research and practice. Annual Review of Psychology, 60, 339–367. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.60.110707.163607
- Pelled, L. H., Eisenhardt, K. M., & Xin, K. R. (1999). Exploring the black box: An analysis of work group diversity, conflict, and performance. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44, 128–138. doi:10.2307/2667029
- Peri, G. (2012). The effect of immigration on productivity: Evidence from U.S. States. Review of Economics and Statistics, 94, 348–358. doi:10.1162/REST_a_00137
- Putnam, R. D. (2007). E Pluribus Unum: Diversity and community in the twenty-first century. Scandinavian Political Studies, 30, 137–174. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9477.2007.00176.x
- Priem, R. L., Harrison, D. A., & Muir, N. K. (1995). Structured conflict and consensus outcomes in group decision making. Journal of Management, 21, 691–710. doi:10.1177/014920639502100406
- Rabushka, A., & Shepsle, K. A. (1972). Politics in plural societies: A theory of democratic instability. Columbus, OH: Merrill.
- Ricardo, D. (1951). The works and correspondence of David Ricardo. In P. Sraffa (Ed.), On the principles of political economy and taxation (1). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press(Original work published in 1817).
- Richard, O. C., McMillan, A., Chadwick, K., & Dwyer, S. (2003). Employing an innovation strategy in racially diverse workforces: Effects on firm performance. Group Organization Management, 28, 107–126. doi:10.1177/1059601102250022
- Samuelson, P. A. (2001). A Ricardo-Sraffa paradigm comparing gains from trade in inputs and finished goods. Journal of Economic Literature, 39, 1204–1214. doi:10.1257/jel.39.4.1204
- Swann, W. B., Polzer, J. T., Seyle, D. C., & Ko, S. J. (2004). Finding value in diversity: Verification of personal and social self-views in diverse groups. Academy of Management Review, 29, 9–27. doi:10.5465/AMR.2004.11851702
- Tajfel, H., Billig, M., Bundy, R. P., & Flament, C. (1971). Social categorization and intergroup behavior. European Journal of Social Psychology, 1, 149–177. doi:10.1002/ejsp.2420010202
- Thomas, D. A., & Ely, R. (1996). Making differences matter: A new paradigm for managing diversity. Harvard Business Review, 74, 79–90. Retrieved from http://www.hbr.org.
- Triandis, H. C., Hall, E. R., & Ewen, R. B. (1965). Member heterogeneity and dyadic creativity. Human Relations, 18, 33–55. doi:10.1177/001872676501800104
- Tsui, A. S., Egan, T. D., & O'Reilly, C. A. (1992). Being different: Relational demography and organizational attachment. Administrative Science Quarterly, 37, 549–579. doi:10.2307/2393472
- Watson, W. E., Kumar, K., & Michaelsen, L. K. (1993). Cultural diversity's impact on interaction process and performance: Comparing homogeneous and diverse task groups. Academy of Management Journal, 36, 590–602. doi:10.2307/256593
- Williams, K. Y., & O'Reilly, C. A. (1998). Demography and diversity in organizations: A review of 40 years of research. In B. M. Staw & L. L. Cummings (Eds.), Research on organizational behavior (pp. 2077–2140). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Further Reading
- Alesina, A., & La Ferrara, E. (2005). Ethnic diversity and economic performance (pp. 762–800). XLIII: Journal of Economic Literature. doi:10.1257/002205105774431243
- Hong, L., & Page, S. E. (2001). Problem solving by heterogeneous agents. Journal of Economic Theory, 97, 123–163. doi:10.1006/jeth.2000.2709
- Page, S. E. (2007). The difference: How the power of diversity creates better groups, firms, schools, and societies. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
- Swann, W. B., Polzer, J. T., Seyle, D. C., & Ko, S. J. (2004). Finding value in diversity: Verification of personal and social self-views in diverse groups. Academy of Management Review, 29, 9–27. doi:10.5465/AMR.2004.11851702
- Williams, K. Y., & O'Reilly, C. A. (1998). Demography and diversity in organizations: A review of 40 years of research. In B. M. Staw & L. L. Cummings (Eds.), Research on organizational behavior (pp. 2077–2140). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Citing Literature
Browse other articles of this reference work: