The Relationship Between Team Deep-Level Diversity and Team Performance: A Meta-Analysis of the Main Effect, Moderators, and Mediating Mechanisms

Abstract

To reconcile the inconsistencies and complexities in the relationship between team diversity and performance, our meta-analysis takes a more nuanced approach to the relationship between team deep-level diversity and team performance. We examine the type of deep-level diversity (personality, values, culture), task complexity, and executive team status as moderators of the relationship between team deep-level diversity and positive emergent states, positive team processes, and team conflict. In addition, we examine the mediating role of positive team emergent states, positive team processes, and team conflict in explaining how team deep-level diversity relates to team performance. We test our hypotheses with a meta-analytic database of 94 papers reporting 280 effect sizes based on 24,425 teams. Findings show that team deep-level diversity is associated with fewer positive emergent states and positive team processes and more team conflict. There is an indirect relationship between team deep-level diversity and team performance through each of the mediators: positive emergent states, positive team processes, and team conflict. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.