3.11 P14: Fault lines & leadership
Adair: Buffering Against the Detrimental Effects of Demographic Faultlines: The
Curious Case of Intragroup Conflict in Small Work Groups
Intro:
Faultlines = ‘hypothetical dividing lines that may split a group into subgroups based on one
or more attributes’
- Previous research: subgroup formation can hinder group performance through
increased intragroup competition & decreased communication, info sharing and
motivation to contribute
But some mechanisms can be used to lessen negative impact on group processes &
performance, e.g. team identification, goal structure, shared objectives and cultural
alignment
Categorisation-elaboration model (CEM):
- Combines social identity w/information-processing theories, predicts that
categorisation pressures & negative effects of faultlines can be avoided when groups
exchange & discuss info and communicate across subgroups
- Conflict will allow groups w/demographic-based faultlines to engage in cross-
subgroup info elaboration, decreasing negative effects of subgrouping
Constructive controversy
- Conflict bridges interests through open discussion & critical examination of ideas,
may decrease negative effects of demographic faultlines on group performance
Theory Development
Demographic Faultlines & Group Performance
- Faultline theory = formation of subgroups based on alignment of demographic/other
shared characteristics. Faultlines emerge through processes of self-categorisation,
social identification and similarity-attraction. Can lead to ingroup-outgroup
competition, restricted communication, etc.
Moderators that limit negative effects of faultlines:
- Bridging faultlines requires inducing a subordinate team identity and/or effective
cross-subgroup interaction – negative faultline-performance relationship weakened
when groups have a strong team identity
- Team members’ openness to experience
- Team leader’s diversity beliefs
- Social category salience
Faultines & Group Conflict
- Conflict = perceived differences/incompatibilities among group members
- 3 types of conflict:
1. Task conflict = disagreements over work-related issues
2. Relationship conflict = disagreements about interpersonal issues
3. Process conflict = disagreements about how work gets done
- Role of conflict in faultline theory
, Present study expectations (hypothesis)
- Relationship, task & process conflict will buffer negative association between group’s
faultlines & group performance - the negative association weaker when conflict is
higher
Study 1
Method
- Measured intragroup conflict, group faultlines & group performance
Results
- Relationship between faultline strength & group performance was negative when
relationship conflict was low, but not significant when conflict was high – so conflict
is good, but not too much?
Discussion
- All 3 types of conflict buffer negative effect of faultlines on group performance
Study 2
Method
- Groups of 4, make a list of useful items needed to survive in desert in a pair, then
discuss with the other pair to make a list. Then completed questionnaire
- Ethnic faultline groups (2 Caucasians & 2 East-Asians) vs. no-faultline groups (all
Caucasian)
- Conflict (participants on one side read that keeping hydrated was most important,
participants on other side read that protection from heat was most important) vs. no-
conflict condition
Results
- Groups in conflict condition rated perceived relationship & task conflict as higher
than those in no-conflict condition, but no difference in perceptions of process
conflict between groups in conflict condition & no-conflict condition – so conflict
manipulation only induced relationship & task conflict, not process conflict
- Interaction not significant in no-faultline condition – could be bc condition included
East Asian & Caucasian ethnically homogeneous groups
- Buffering effect of group conflict on faultline-group performance relationship, but
only when comparing faultline w/no-faultline East Asian teams. So, group conflict
only detrimental to group performance in North American teams, but not East Asian
teams
General Discussion
- Because conflict involves noticing differences & disagreements, may weaken
negative effect of demographic faultlines on group performance
- Demographic faultlines had less negative effect on group performance for teams that
had greater team conflict & under conditions of conflict, ethnic faultline groups
performed better than Caucasian no-faultline groups
Adair: Buffering Against the Detrimental Effects of Demographic Faultlines: The
Curious Case of Intragroup Conflict in Small Work Groups
Intro:
Faultlines = ‘hypothetical dividing lines that may split a group into subgroups based on one
or more attributes’
- Previous research: subgroup formation can hinder group performance through
increased intragroup competition & decreased communication, info sharing and
motivation to contribute
But some mechanisms can be used to lessen negative impact on group processes &
performance, e.g. team identification, goal structure, shared objectives and cultural
alignment
Categorisation-elaboration model (CEM):
- Combines social identity w/information-processing theories, predicts that
categorisation pressures & negative effects of faultlines can be avoided when groups
exchange & discuss info and communicate across subgroups
- Conflict will allow groups w/demographic-based faultlines to engage in cross-
subgroup info elaboration, decreasing negative effects of subgrouping
Constructive controversy
- Conflict bridges interests through open discussion & critical examination of ideas,
may decrease negative effects of demographic faultlines on group performance
Theory Development
Demographic Faultlines & Group Performance
- Faultline theory = formation of subgroups based on alignment of demographic/other
shared characteristics. Faultlines emerge through processes of self-categorisation,
social identification and similarity-attraction. Can lead to ingroup-outgroup
competition, restricted communication, etc.
Moderators that limit negative effects of faultlines:
- Bridging faultlines requires inducing a subordinate team identity and/or effective
cross-subgroup interaction – negative faultline-performance relationship weakened
when groups have a strong team identity
- Team members’ openness to experience
- Team leader’s diversity beliefs
- Social category salience
Faultines & Group Conflict
- Conflict = perceived differences/incompatibilities among group members
- 3 types of conflict:
1. Task conflict = disagreements over work-related issues
2. Relationship conflict = disagreements about interpersonal issues
3. Process conflict = disagreements about how work gets done
- Role of conflict in faultline theory
, Present study expectations (hypothesis)
- Relationship, task & process conflict will buffer negative association between group’s
faultlines & group performance - the negative association weaker when conflict is
higher
Study 1
Method
- Measured intragroup conflict, group faultlines & group performance
Results
- Relationship between faultline strength & group performance was negative when
relationship conflict was low, but not significant when conflict was high – so conflict
is good, but not too much?
Discussion
- All 3 types of conflict buffer negative effect of faultlines on group performance
Study 2
Method
- Groups of 4, make a list of useful items needed to survive in desert in a pair, then
discuss with the other pair to make a list. Then completed questionnaire
- Ethnic faultline groups (2 Caucasians & 2 East-Asians) vs. no-faultline groups (all
Caucasian)
- Conflict (participants on one side read that keeping hydrated was most important,
participants on other side read that protection from heat was most important) vs. no-
conflict condition
Results
- Groups in conflict condition rated perceived relationship & task conflict as higher
than those in no-conflict condition, but no difference in perceptions of process
conflict between groups in conflict condition & no-conflict condition – so conflict
manipulation only induced relationship & task conflict, not process conflict
- Interaction not significant in no-faultline condition – could be bc condition included
East Asian & Caucasian ethnically homogeneous groups
- Buffering effect of group conflict on faultline-group performance relationship, but
only when comparing faultline w/no-faultline East Asian teams. So, group conflict
only detrimental to group performance in North American teams, but not East Asian
teams
General Discussion
- Because conflict involves noticing differences & disagreements, may weaken
negative effect of demographic faultlines on group performance
- Demographic faultlines had less negative effect on group performance for teams that
had greater team conflict & under conditions of conflict, ethnic faultline groups
performed better than Caucasian no-faultline groups
