Being different yet feeling similar: The influence of demographic composition and organizational culture on work processes and outcomes

Drawing from self-categorization theory, we tested hypotheses on the effect s of an organization's demographic composition and cultural emphasis on wor k processes and outcomes. Using an organizational simulation, we found that the extent to which an organization emphasized individualistic or collecti vistic values interacted with demographic composition to influence social i nteraction, conflict, productivity, and perceptions of creativity among 258 MBA students. Our findings suggest that the purported benefits of demograp hic diversity are more likely to emerge in organizations that, through thei r culture, make organizational membership salient and encourage people to c ategorize one another as having the organization's interests in common, rat her than those that emphasize individualism and distinctiveness among membe rs.(.)