The pros and cons of diversity

Research on the benefits of diversity for team performance is far more qualified than Tim Berkley suggests (Letters, 10 September). Whether or not diversity results in beneficial or negative outcomes for teams depends on many contextual factors. The US-based Academy of Management Journal has published a meta-analysis of research into the impact of diversity on team performance. Overall demographic diversity (race, gender, age and so on) tended to have a small negative effect on team performance, while task-oriented diversity (education, professional qualifications) had a small positive effect.
 

Language does not simply reflect what is going on in organisational life: it also influences what people think and what they do

Linda Holbeche, director of the Holbeche Partnership and visiting professor of HRM/OD at Cass Business School