Think You’ve Got a Diverse Team? Think Again

Even the color of people's clothing can affect perceptions of gender diversity, new research shows.

Appearances can be deceiving, including when it comes to how managers view diversity.

Just because we may think we employ individuals from a rich mix of backgrounds, doesn’t necessarily mean that we do.

The danger is that executives could suffer from a common misperception that new Stanford research refers to as the “spillover effect”. Here, someone sees a form of diversity in a group, such as different types of clothing, then mistakenly assumes the group is more diverse in other ways.

It’s not because the subject is naive or ignorant. It’s just a matter of our brains making shortcuts to avoid having to conduct tedious and time-consuming analysis.

“Managers need to be much more intentional: Is my team diverse? On what dimension? Is that the dimension I care about?”

To test their proposition, the researchers showed subjects three faces with different racial characteristics. Although the gender composition in the pictures was always two men and one woman, subjects shown more racially diverse groups mistakenly recollected more gender equality.

A separate experiment had subjects observing groups that were given different colored t-shits to wear while working on a Lego challenge. All the groups had two men and two women, but those with a greater assortment of t-shirt colors were perceived to have more gender diversity.

Plenty is said about the value of diversity to a company’s prospects. Many studies have at least shown a correlation. A Credit Suisse study released in November, for example, found that companies with more female senior managers had better stock-price returns.

Of course, correlation doesn’t equal causation, though McKinsey argued in a 2015 report that correlation at least indicates that there’s a clear link between diversity and success.

“Perhaps some of the problems of whether diversity is good or bad is because people are making false assumptions about how diverse their teams really are,” said Stanford professor Margaret Neal, who led the new research.

“Managers need to be much more intentional: Is my team diverse? On what dimension? Is that the dimension I care about?” she said.


MORE LIKE THIS

  • Get the CEO Briefing

    Sign up today to get weekly access to the latest issues affecting CEOs in every industry
  • upcoming events

    Roundtable

    Strategic Planning Workshop

    1:00 - 5:00 pm

    Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process

    Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:

    1. Lack of systematic approach (70%)
    2. Laundry lists without prioritization (68%)
    3. Decisions based on personalities rather than facts and information (65%)

     

    Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns.  They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning.  Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process.  This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented.  If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form.  The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

    To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.

    New York, NY: ​​​Chief Executive's Corporate Citizenship Awards 2017

    Women in Leadership Seminar and Peer Discussion

    2:00 - 5:00 pm

    Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations. 

    Limited space available.

    To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $495 will be added to your total.

    Golf Outing

    10:30 - 5:00 pm
    General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
    Sponsored by UBS

    General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.

    The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.

    To sign up, select this option in your registration form. Additional fee of $295 will be added to your total.