Purpose

The purpose of this study is to propose and test a model on the impact of diversity over performance using a Portuguese national wide comprehensively matched employee–employer dataset of small businesses.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses structural equation modeling to analyze the relationships between variables. The study addresses the impact of top managers and employees' diversity on firm performance considering two dimensions of diversity: knowledge diversity and social diversity.

Findings

The study provides a clear understanding of how workforce diversity affects performance differently at the two hierarchical levels. Both employees' diversities have stronger relations to performance than the diversity of top managers. Results point out to idiosyncratic aspects of services firms' dynamics that should be further explored.

Research limitations/implications

The study presents some limitations, since it uses data from a single country and the dataset provides limited variables.

Practical implications

The study offers evidence on the effects of diversity in small businesses alerting managers to acknowledge such influence when recruiting, selecting and training. With regard to services firms, managers should pay close attention to negative impacts of diversity over performance.

Originality/value

Never before to the authors' knowledge the managers' level diversity and employees' level diversity (considering two dimensions each) effect on performance have been addressed in a single national wide study.

中文翻译：

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小企业多样性的水平和维度：对绩效的贡献

目的

本研究的目的是使用葡萄牙全国范围内全面匹配的小企业雇员-雇主数据集，提出并测试一个关于多样性对绩效影响的模型。

设计/方法/途径

该研究使用结构方程模型来分析变量之间的关系。该研究探讨了高层管理人员和员工多样性对公司绩效的影响，考虑了多样性的两个维度：知识多样性和社会多样性。

发现

该研究清楚地了解了劳动力多样性如何在两个层级上以不同方式影响绩效。与高层管理人员的多样性相比，这两种员工的多样性与绩效的关系更强。结果指出应进一步探索服务公司动态的特殊方面。

研究局限性/影响

该研究存在一些局限性，因为它使用来自单个国家/地区的数据，并且数据集提供的变量有限。

实际影响

该研究提供了多样性对小型企业影响的证据，提醒管理者在招聘、选拔和培训时承认这种影响。对于服务公司，管理者应密切关注多元化对绩效的负面影响。

原创性/价值

据作者所知，以前从未在一项全国范围的研究中解决过经理水平多样性和员工水平多样性（分别考虑两个维度）对绩效的影响。