How Organizational Cultures Moderate the Relationship between Demographic Diversity and Intragroup Conflict: A Meta-analysis

Authors

Ryan K. Jacobson, Florida International UniversityFollow

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Major/Program

Psychology

First Advisor's Name

Asia A. Eaton

First Advisor's Committee Title

Committee chair

Second Advisor's Name

Samantha Paustian-Underdahl

Second Advisor's Committee Title

committee member

Third Advisor's Name

Valentina Bruk-Lee

Third Advisor's Committee Title

committee member

Fourth Advisor's Name

Chockalingam Viswesvaran

Fourth Advisor's Committee Title

committee member

Keywords

Psychology

Date of Defense

6-3-2019

Abstract

Research suggests that as work groups become more demographically diverse, they are more likely to experience relationship and task conflict (Barak, 2016; Holck, Muhr, & Villeseche, 2016; Mohammed & Angell, 2004). In an increasingly diverse, global workforce, one way to mitigate this conflict might be to promote organizational cultures that support group harmony and respect, such as team-oriented culture (Galinsky et al., 2015; Lambert, 2016; Nielsen, 2017; Williams & O’Reilly, 1998). In this paper, we sought to test the moderating potential of organizational culture on the relationship between worker diversity and conflict using a meta-analysis. Using 40 samples, we examined the effect of culture (team oriented and outcome-oriented cultures) on the relationship between sample diversity (in terms of gender, race, age, and organizational tenure) and group conflict (task and relationship conflict). The results indicated that team-oriented culture significantly moderated the association between demographic diversity and relationship conflict, with greater levels of team-oriented culture associated with weaker associations between demographic diversity and relationship conflict. Thus, the current findings illustrate that team-oriented culture may serve as a substantial contextual moderator that may mitigate the amount of relationship conflict occurring within diverse groups. Outcome-oriented culture, meanwhile, appeared to enhance the detrimental positive association between sample demographic heterogeneity and relationship conflict. The current meta-analysis suggests that different types of organizational cultures may be used to reduce task and relationship intragroup conflict in demographically diverse groups.

Identifier

FIDC007766

Recommended Citation

Jacobson, Ryan K., "How Organizational Cultures Moderate the Relationship between Demographic Diversity and Intragroup Conflict: A Meta-analysis" (2019). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 4266.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/4266