Session Summary

Session Number:200
Session ID:S67
Session Title:Promoting Participation in Pluralistic Environments: Managing Contributions within Diverse Groups
Short Title:Participation in Diverse Grps.
Session Type:Showcase Symposium
Hotel:Hyatt West
Floor:LL2
Room:Regency Ball D(N)
Time:Wednesday, August 11, 1999 10:40 AM - 12:00 PM

Sponsors

CM  (Laurie Weingart)weingart@cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu (412) 268-7585 
OB  (Robert Liden)bobliden@uic.edu (312) 996-4481 

General People

Chair Thomas-Hunt, Melissa C. Washington U. Thomashunt@mail.olin.wustl.edu (314)-935-4917 
Discussant Northcraft, Gregory B. U. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign northcra@uiuc.edu (217)-333-7410 

Submissions

When differences make a difference: Categorization and social identification based on demographic diversity in formal organizations 
Presenter Spataro, Sandra E. U. of California, Berkeley spataro@haas.berkeley.edu (510)-643-1401 
Begging, Fighting, or Demanding to be Heard: Group Status Dynamics in the Organizational Context 
Presenter Owens, David A. Vanderbilt U. david.owens@owen.vanderbilt.edu (615) 322-2673 
Maybe I Should Say Something: The Effect of Organizational Culture and Expert Status on Group Member Contributions 
Presenter Thomas-Hunt, Melissa C. Washington U. Thomashunt@mail.olin.wustl.edu (314)-935-4917 
Presenter Ogden, Tonya Y. Washington U. ogdent@mail.olin.wustl.edu (314)-367-2795 
Presenter Neale, Margaret A. Stanford U. Neale_Margaret@gsb.stanford.edu (650)-723-8068 
Getting to Know You: The Influence of Personality on the Alignment of Self-Other Evaluations of Demographically Different People  
Presenter Chatman, Jennifer A. U. of California, Berkeley chatman@haas.berkeley.edu (510)642-4723 
Presenter Flynn, Francis J. U. of California, Berkeley flynn@haas.berkeley.edu (510)450-0558 
Presenter Spataro, Sandra E. U. of California, Berkeley spataro@haas.berkeley.edu (510)-643-1401 

Abstract

A pluralistic world necessitates that individuals with different skills, experiences, perspectives and characteristics work together toward a common goal. Our symposium considers the potential challenges that arise when diverse individuals collaborate within groups to achieve organizational outcomes. Our symposium papers define group diversity not by the ascribed characteristics of group members, but by the meaning inputed to distict characteristics by both those possessing the characteristics and those observing the possessors. Specifically, Spataro's paper describes how identification processes transform the simple demographic categorizations of group members into attitudes and behaviors that affect group processes. Similarly, Owen's paper argues that a group member's latent status potential is inherently context-based and arises from the relative value of the group member attributes compared to those of other members. Thomas-Hunt, Ogden and Neale's paper considers the effects of organizational culture and outgroup member status on information sharing and coflict emergence within groups. Finally, our symposium concludes with Chatmat, Flynn, and Spataro's paper that examines the effects for personality and demographic differences on individuals' evaluations of team members performance. Our symposium papers extend our understanding of the potential effects of diversity within groups and provide a preliminary blueprint of the factors that organizations must consider as they become more diverse and rely, increasingly, on team-based structures.