The Downside of Diversity
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More and more companies are asking employees to leave the isolation of their cubicles to collaborate with co-workers, spawning innovative ideas, increased productivity--and, surprisingly, friction.
According to Debra Connelley, Ph.D., who teaches organizational behavior at the University of Buffalo, increasing diversity and team-based work structures can spark office conflict. This is typical, she says, of any environment in which very different types of people are forced to interact closely while attempting to assert their own goals and personal values.
Ethnicity, religion and gender are just a few of the major factors that lead people to clash over opposing viewpoints. Even one's work or education background can influence one's personal perspective. People tend to shut out information that doesn't mesh with their own beliefs, especially when it comes from someone they don't like or trust, says Connelley. Moreover, people define problems differently and attribute the causes to different sources.
But employers can watch for warning signs that conflict is mounting: Arguments arise regularly during meetings; a work team fails to reach a consensus; team productivity wanes in comparison to individual output; or employees make themselves unavailable for group meetings by taking a sick day or booking appointments during those times.
Bosses can boost poor group morale by training employees in conflict management as well as by emphasizing the importance of communication with co-workers. Most importantly, employees must learn to be flexible. Says Connelley: "People have to learn to respond to others' perspectives not with a kneejerk reaction but by waiting to hear out information before they make a decision."
posted by diversityworking @ 1:14 PM
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