Diversity is a goal for many organizations, yet it is not always connected to improved performance. This study advances diversity-performance research by examining the effect of engaging social differences. The analysis uses data from a national study of organizations containing information on the race, gender, class, and religion of each organization’s leaders as well as information on the type and content of interactions occurring among them. The data also contain multiple measures of organizational output, specifically the organization’s performance in forming alliances, developing strategies, organizing constituents, and mobilizing people. The analysis focuses on organizations with a diverse leadership team, examining the teams’ social interactions to assess whether engaging members’ social differences is associated with better performance. Additionally, qualitative data illustrate how engaging social differences impacts organizational outcomes. The study finds that teams whose members regularly participate in bridging cultural activities and discuss their social differences achieve greater output. Overall, this study indicates that an organization’s ability to realize the performance benefits of having a diverse leadership team is related to how the leaders interact with each other. The findings suggest that diverse organizations can improve their performance by ensuring that their members interact in ways that engage their social differences.

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参与差异：社会多元化的组织如何更有效地调动资源

多样性是许多组织的目标，但并不总是与提高性能有关。这项研究通过研究参与社会差异的影响来推进多样性绩效研究。该分析使用的是来自全国性组织研究的数据，其中包含有关每个组织领导人的种族，性别，阶级和宗教信仰的信息，以及有关组织之间发生的互动的类型和内容的信息。数据还包含组织产出的多种度量，特别是组织在组建联盟，制定战略，组织成员和动员人员方面的绩效。该分析着重于具有多元化领导团队的组织，检查团队的社交互动，以评估参与成员的社交差异是否与更好的绩效相关。此外，定性数据说明了参与的社会差异如何影响组织成果。该研究发现，团队成员定期参加桥接文化活动并讨论他们的社会差异的团队获得了更大的产出。总体而言，这项研究表明，组织实现拥有多元化领导团队的绩效收益的能力与领导者之间的互动方式有关。研究结果表明，多元化的组织可以通过确保其成员以参与其社会差异的方式进行互动来提高其绩效。该研究发现，团队成员定期参加桥接文化活动并讨论他们的社会差异的团队获得了更大的产出。总体而言，这项研究表明，组织实现拥有多元化领导团队的绩效收益的能力与领导者之间的互动方式有关。研究结果表明，多元化的组织可以通过确保其成员以参与其社会差异的方式进行互动来提高其绩效。该研究发现，团队成员定期参加桥接文化活动并讨论他们的社会差异的团队获得了更大的产出。总体而言，这项研究表明，组织实现拥有多元化领导团队的绩效收益的能力与领导者之间的互动方式有关。研究结果表明，多元化的组织可以通过确保其成员以参与其社会差异的方式进行互动来提高其绩效。