Comparing Alternative Conceptualizations of Functional Diversity in Management Teams: Process and Performance Effects

Functional diversity in teams has been conceptualized in a variety of ways without careful attention to how different conceptualizations might lead to different results. This article introduces the possibility that the positive or negative effects of functional diversity may not just be a function of the dependent variable or context examined but may also be a function of the way in which functional diversity is conceptualized and measured. This study examined the process and performance effects of dominant function diversity (the diversity of functional experts on a team) and intrapersonal functional diversity (the aggregate functional breadth of team members). In a sample of business unit management teams, dominant function diversity had a negative, and interpersonal functional diversity, a positive effect on information sharing and unit performance. These findings suggest that different forms of functional diversity can have very different implications for team process and performance and that intrapersonal functional diversity matters for team effectiveness.