Nancy DiTomaso

Diversity and the demands of leadership

Abstract In this paper we develop a framework for conceptualizing the research on diversity, examine the relationship between diversity and the demands of leadership, and attempt to link the literatures of diversity and leadership by expanding the conception of both. We discuss four types of work on diversity: (a) the management literature on interpersonal and intergroup interaction; (b) other management literature on organizational change which has implications for diversity; (c) literature from the social and behavioral sciences which is about diversity, but which has not been included in the management literature on diversity or leadership; and (d) literature on the ethics and morality of diversity and multiculturalism which the management literature has tended to ignore. We argue that leaders need to “do” diversity in the origination, interpolation, and use of structures; that they have responsibility for the impact their companies have on a diverse world; that they are implicated by their inaction and inattention as well as by their actions; that they need to take responsibility for the politics of diversity; and that they need to engage in “adaptive” and “emotion” work.

Double Jeopardy For Women And Minorities: Pay Differences With Age

The relation of age to pay rates for 197 Hispanic, black, and white non-managerial workers of both sexes was examined in two organizations. Disparity between the pay rates of women and minority gro...

Effects of Structural Position on Allocation and Evaluation Decisions for Scientists and Engineers in Industrial R&D

This paper examines the influence of the structural positions of different demographic groups in the science and engineering labor force on their access to the allocation of favorable work experiences and their effect on decisions about the evaluation of their performance. Our hypotheses challenge assumptions in the management literature that each group will necessarily express ingroup bias and outgroup derogation. Instead, we call attention to the status hierarchy that develops from status construction processes, the prototypicality that emerges from social categorization processes, and a framework of stereotype content that is based on an analysis of structural positions among groups in the society. Using hierarchical linear modeling with survey data from scientists and engineers in research and development in 24 major corporations, we find that U.S.-born white males, who constitute the normative ingroup, receive advantages in both allocation and evaluation decisions from all evaluators, not just from other white men. We also find that normative outgroups (non-male, non-whites, and/or non-U.S. born) receive ambivalent or indifferent more than discriminatory or biased treatment, depending on their structural position in relation to U.S.-born white men, and that these effects are independent of who is doing the rating.

Leadership in and of demographically diverse organizations

Abstract The leadership literature has not adequately addressed leadership in and of demographically diverse organizations. In this article we examine what is known about male/female, white/non-white, and U.S./ non-U.S. differences and discuss the leadership implications. We examine the recent literature on leadership as it relates to diversity at different levels where leadership is exercised, including interpersonal, group, and organizational levels. We also propose an agenda for future research, especially on leader-member relations, the influence of biases and stereotypes on leadership evaluations, leading demographically diverse groups, organizational stratification, separating sex from gender effects, influence tactics, and multidirectional approaches to leadership. The articles in these two volumes on leadership and diversity provide a promising start in addressing the proposed agenda for future research.

Career development opportunities and likelihood of turnover among R&D professionals

It is commonly assumed that the turnover of R&D professionals can be reduced by providing them with opportunities for career development within their company. This study suggests that this may not always be the case. Findings from a study of over two thousand R&D professionals suggest that their likelihood of turnover changes with the types of career development opportunities they are provided. Professionals provided with opportunities to develop their technical careers are more likely to leave their current employer, but less likely to leave R&D for other areas of the company. Moreover, professionals provided with managerial development opportunities are more likely to leave R&D for other areas of the company, but less likely to leave their current employer. >

Favoritism, Bias, and Error in Performance Ratings of Scientists and Engineers: The Effects of Power, Status, and Numbers

In this paper we argue that the sociostructural position of groups must be taken into consideration along with motivational and cognitive processes to explain evaluations received and made by women, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians. With this framework, we analyze performance ratings for a sample of 2,445 scientists and engineers from 24 U.S. companies and find that (a) there is more evidence of in-group favoritism than of out-group derogation; (b) high status, dominant, and majority group members enjoy favoritism expressed as a global prototype of them as competent; and (c) subordinate, minority group members “overshoot” in opposite ways toward other groups depending on their status and the status level of the target group. We find these effects even after controlling for self-reported productivity and for various errors inherent in the evaluation process.

Supervisors in R&D laboratories: using technical, people, and administrative skills effectively

A study of 2172 technical professionals finds that the more their supervisors possess technical, but in particular, people and administrative skills, the more their work environment is stimulating. Moreover, the more their work environment is stimulating, the greater their performance and job satisfaction. In addition, the study finds that the more their work environment is stimulating, the less the technical and people skills of their supervisors help their performance and job satisfaction, the less the administrative skills of their supervisors hurt their performance, and the more the administrative skills of their supervisors help their job satisfaction. The implications of the findings for helping R&D supervisors use technical, people, and administrative skills effectively to increase the performance and job satisfaction of their subordinates are discussed.

Gender and race/ethnic composition of technical work groups: Relationship to creative productivity and morale

Abstract This study explores the relationship of the gender and race/ethnic composition of work groups for 2331 research and development professionals with measures of creative productivity and morale. We find that male professionals appear to be more innovative and more likely to remain in their laboratories in predominantly male work groups, while female professionals appear to find more job satisfaction in predominantly female work groups. We find that non-Hispanic white technical professionals appear to have more patents in racially balanced work groups (defined by an equal number of whites and nonwhites), but they appear to find more job satisfaction where whites are the majority and are more likely to remain in the laboratory in all-white work groups. The relationships of group composition for nonwhites differed by subgroup. Outcomes for black technical professionals were less favorable in racially balanced work groups. No significant relationships of work group composition were found for Asians and Hispanics.

Technical professionals in cross-functional teams: their quality of work life

Abstract The idea that R&D professionals typically spend a considerable amount of their time working as members of teams makes sense. After all, plenty of research indicates that the use of cross-functional teams improves the effectiveness of product development efforts. However, the increasing use of cross-functional teams raises an important question for researchers and R&D practitioners: Does the use of cross-functional teams improve the quality of work life for technical professionals? Rene Cordero, George F. Farris, and Nancy DiTomaso address this question in study of 1,714 R&D professionals working on projects. They suggest that being a member of a cross-functional team may be more demanding than working as a member of a functional project group. On the other hand, they expect that working on a cross-functional project team may be more rewarding than working in a functional project group. Their study tests these hypotheses by examining the relationships between measures of the extent to which respondents work on cross-functional teams and five measures each of the participants’ job demands and positive job outcomes. The study identifies positive relationships between working on cross-functional teams and the five positive job outcomes studied: job growth, job security, membership in successful teams, earning money, and job satisfaction. The study finds less consistent and weaker relationships between working on cross-functional teams and the five job demands studied. Specifically, the study identifies positive relationships between working on cross-functional teams and the following job demands: effort, job involvement, and considering a lot of difference of opinion. The results of this study do not find a conclusive relationship between cross-functional team membership and time pressure. And contrary to expectations, the study finds a negative relationship between working on cross-functional teams and job stress. Comparing the responses of participants who work on project teams with those who do not, the results of the study indicate that respondents who work on project teams face greater job demands than positive job outcomes. However, working on cross-functional teams seems to increase positive job outcomes more than job demands. In other words, working on cross-functional teams appears to increase the quality of work life for the technical professionals in this study.

Diversity in the technical work force: Rethinking the management of scientists and engineers

Abstract In a survey of over 1900 scientists and engineers from 18 companies, we find that work climate as defined by Pelz and Andrews (1976) differs for U.S. born women and for the foreign born compared to U.S. born men. Using the Pelz and Andrews measures where possible, we find that women report less technical control, fewer communication contacts, more time on a major project, less dedication (work involvement), less perceived similarity, and less work group cohesiveness in newer groups than do men. The foreign born report fewer communication contacts, more time on major projects, more dedication, more internal motivation, and more perceived similarity. On issues regarding work and family, the foreign born express less concern for work-family conflict, while women in general do not differ from men in this regard. Women with dependents do, however, have much more difficulty with dependent care than do men with dependents.