1. Joining Together: Group Theory and Group Skills
VALUING DIVERSITY
Joining Together: Group Theory and Group Skills
11th Edition
David W. Johnson
Frank P. Johnson

2. Purposes
Diversity can have beneficial or harmful consequences, depending on how it is managed
Diversity is important for groups
There are barriers to interacting with diverse peers
There are ways to make diversity among members a strength

3. Diversity: Can Have Beneficial Consequences
Achievement & Productivity
Creative Problem-solving
Growth in Cognitive and Moral Reasoning
Increased Perspective-taking
Improved Relationships
General Sophistication

4. Diversity: Can Have Harmful Consequences
Lower Achievement and Productivity
Closed-minded Rejection of New Information
Increased Egocentrism
Negative Relationships
Hostility, Rejection, Divisiveness, Bullying, Scapegoating, Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Racism.

5. Sources of Diversity Demographic Diversity Personal Characteristics
Abilities and Skills

6. Why Is Managing Diversity Important?
We increasingly live in one world
Diversity in most settings is inevitable
There has been an economic globalization of business

7. Group Composition and Test Performance
Production tasks
Intellective tasks
Decision-making tasks

8. Disadvantages of Homogeneous Group Membership
Lack of controversy and clash of perspectives
Tend to avoid risk
Function best in static rather than changing conditions

9. Difficulties With Research
What attributes are important?
Can one attribute make a difference?
Are group tasks simple or diverse?
What is diversity, anyway?
How does group composition and task interact to affect performance?

10. Barriers to Interacting With Diverse Peers
Stereotypes – a set of beliefs that associates a whole group of people with certain traits
Categorizing
In-group/out-group
Saves energy
Fundamental attribution error
Scapegoating
Stereotype threat

11. More Barriers: Prejudice
An unjustified negative attitude toward a person based solely on that individual’s membership in a group other than one’s own
Ethnocentrism
Cultural Conditioning
Modern Racism

12. More Barriers Discrimination Blaming the Victim Attribution Theory
Culture Clash

13. Making Diversity a Strength
Structure and Strengthen Positive Interdependence
Create a Superordinate Group Identity
Gain Sophistication Through Intergroup Relations
Clarify Miscommunications

14. Summary
If diversity is managed well, it will enhance group work and decisions
Diverse groups are valuable for effective decisions.
We can identify barriers which keep us from interacting with diverse peers and overcome them
To capitalize on our differences, we can make diversity among members a strength