Managing the diversified team: challenges and strategies for improving performance

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the important factors which need to be taken into consideration to manage a diversified team. It also aims to provide business managers and executives with a framework of how to best utilize and implement teams in the workplace so as to maximize both internal and external diversified skill sets and capabilities in team members.

Design/methodology/approach

An extensive review of existing literature was done to form the views of the authors on the issue. A strengths, weaknesses, oppositions, threats (SWOT) analysis of diversified teams was done with the help of secondary research. The concept is based on the author's own practical experience. A combination of primary and secondary research was used to highlight and strengthen the author views and opinions. The original ideas and basic concepts are based on the author's own experiences.

Findings

The study found the maximum benefits of a diversified team. The findings show that effective teamwork requires members to recognize the team as a unit with common goals, values, and norms. The more that team members identify with each other, the more likely they are to believe they hold similar goals.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is an attempt to express the real organizational scenario which is based on a sample of 20 corporate executives who dealt with a similar issue. The industries selected were in Delhi – NCR. There is reason to believe that if study had to be done in some other parts of the county, results may have been different. The sample taken was not very big, and was also non‐random. A large sample may have different results.

Practical implications

The study includes an extensive analysis of the organizational diversity and its impact on the performance of the organizations. This may help business practitioners to encourage diversity in the workplace while improving teamwork, communication and cooperation among team members.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the different attributes of a diversified team. With the help of primary research and well‐supported secondary research, a good attempt is made to trace the four corners of leading a diversified team. It can help future managers to guide a diversified team for good team performance.

Citation

Agrawal, V. (2012), "Managing the diversified team: challenges and strategies for improving performance", Team Performance Management, Vol. 18 No. 7/8, pp. 384-400. https://doi.org/10.1108/13527591211281129