While diversity is generally seen as a positive thing in the workplace, it can make coordination harder when there are more divergent views. Research from the Georgia Institute of Technology explores how diverse teams can manage to function effectively.
The researchers believe that the key is what’s known as a multicultural paradox mindset (MPM), which they define as “the degree to which one is accepting of and energized by intercultural tensions, both emphasizing cultural differences and finding common ground.” If such a mindset is present in a team then any differences are handled well and the team can be productive.
“A diverse team has the potential to be better at information elaboration, and, thus, creativity, than a non-diverse team,” they explain. “However, this potential needs to be unlocked. The presence of a member with high MPM is one way to achieve this within multicultural teams.”
Cultural intelligence
People with high MPM were able to embrace the differences within their team rather than attempting to ignore them. This allows all team members the chance to express themselves effectively, which helps the creative output of the team.
The researchers tested their theory on the benefits of having an MPM by selecting 217 participants and dividing them into 63 diverse teams. To ensure cultural diversity, they organized the teams into “clusters” instead of geographic locations, such as pairing a Spanish and Chinese person instead of a Spanish person and a French person.
The teams were presented with a scenario where an employee was allowed to work from home for an aging relative, causing problems when other employees requested the same arrangement. The teams were challenged to generate creative solutions for HR based on the given information.
“We found this task to be particularly well-suited for a study focusing on culturally diverse teams because of the deep cross-cultural differences in terms of views on work-life balance and remote work, how to care for family members, valuing the elderly, and overall HR policies and practices,” the researchers explain.
Successful teams
The researchers considered several variables, such as the individual definition of creativity, gender diversity, and overseas experience, that could impact their understanding and acceptance of different cultures.
They also accounted for team members from “tight” cultural backgrounds who may have difficulty accepting different values and perspectives, as opposed to those from “loose” cultures who tend to easily blend into groups and potentially have a multicultural paradox mindset.
“Leaders should definitely keep in mind who has a MPM when assembling a multicultural team. Without one (or more) members with a MPM, the risk of not unlocking the creative potential of the multicultural team is very high,” the authors conclude.
