“Beyond Simple Explanations”

Abstract

Abstract. This study analyzed the impact of demographic diversity factors on team performance at a global manufacturing company. Existing company data were extracted for the functions of human resources (HR), information technology (IT), and sales strategy, resulting in a sample of 97 teams. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted with team performance as the dependent variable. Independent variables were team size, organizational level, three team diversity factors (gender, nationality, age), and three attributes of the team leader (gender, age, grade). In addition, various moderation effects were included in the analysis. The model explained 32 % of the variance of team performance. The team diversity factors did not have any measurable effects, supporting the need for increasing model complexity. Four of the moderating effects reached significance, challenging existing stereotypes regarding diversity. The empirical findings illustrate the influence of team leaders’ attributes on team performance, as well as challenges of different degrees of team diversity.