Thomas Rockstuhl

Research on the effect of cultural diversity on team performance remains inconclusive. We propose to resolve the competing predictions of the information/decision making versus the social categorization theories by integrating two task-related theories, the situational strength theory and the circumplex model of group tasks. We propose that high task specificity enables similar interpretations and shared understanding among team members, which is needed for effective " execute " (convergent) tasks, is characterized by team cooperation and interdependence. Low task specificity, in contrast, is beneficial for " generate " (creative) tasks, because it does not place constraints on generating original ideas and does not require tight coordination among the team members. We tested the effects of situational strength and task type on the relationship between cultural diversity and team performance in two experiments with 86 and 96 dyads in the first and second experiments, respectively. In both experiments, heterogeneous (Israeli–Singaporean) and homogeneous dyads (Israeli–Israeli and Singaporean–Singaporean) worked under low or high task specificity. In Study 1, dyads performed convergent execution tasks, and in Study 2, they performed creative idea-generation tasks. The impediment of multicultural-ism was reduced in execute (convergent) tasks under high task specificity and in generate (divergent) tasks under low task specificity. Intensifying globalization in all sectors means an increasing number of multicultural teams, yet whether team members from different cultural backgrounds collaborate effectively with each other on numerous types of tasks remains unanswered. The extant research literature on team diversity makes no conclusive inference about the effect of team diversity, specifically cultural diversity, on team performance (Bledow, Frese, Anderson, Erez, & Farr, 2009). The information/decision-making approach suggests that the large and diversified pool of knowledge, skills, and abilities available to culturally diverse teams enhances team performance (Easely, 2001; Van Knippenberg, De Drue, & Homan, 2004). By contrast, social categorization theory (Tajfel, 1978; Turner, 1987) asserts that cultural diversity hinders team performance because categorization of team members into in-groups and out-groups hampers team processes (Huber & Lewis, 2010). The empirical evidence linking cultural diversity to team performance is equivocal. A meta-analysis of 42 studies summarizing the effects of cultural diversity on team performance found a null effect but also showed that individual effect sizes range from À.60 to .48 (Stahl, Maznevski, Voigt, & Jonsen, 2010). These conflicting theories and findings hint at the presence of undetected moderators of the relationship between cultural diversity and team performance, highlighting the importance of gaining a deeper understanding of the conditions under which cultural diversity predicts team performance (Van Knippenberg & Schippers, 2007).

Which emotions are associated with universally recognized non-verbal signals? We address this issue by examining how reliably non-linguistic vocalizations (affect bursts) can convey emotions across cultures. Actors from India, Kenya, Singapore, and USA were instructed to produce vocalizations that would convey nine positive and nine negative emotions to listeners. The vocalizations were judged by Swedish listeners using a within-valence forced-choice procedure, where positive and negative emotions were judged in separate experiments. Results showed that listeners could recognize a wide range of positive and negative emotions with accuracy above chance. For positive emotions, we observed the highest recognition rates for relief, followed by lust, interest, serenity and positive surprise, with affection and pride receiving the lowest recognition rates. Anger, disgust, fear, sadness, and negative surprise received the highest recognition rates for negative emotions, with the lowest rates observed for guilt and shame. By way of summary, results showed that the voice can reveal both basic emotions and several positive emotions other than happiness across cultures, but self-conscious emotions such as guilt, pride, and shame seem not to be well recognized from non-linguistic vocalizations.