Something this article doesn’t mention: it’s pretty well established by research that having diverse teams increases creativity and innovation, something that you’d think Silicon Valley tech companies would be all over.
But the big tech companies are mostly hiring very few people who aren’t young straight white men, and those who are hired don’t feel welcome.
(The article also doesn’t discuss numbers of Indian and Asian hires – typically large in tech in my experience, but since I’m far from Silicon Valley and don’t have figures to hand, I’m not sure about this one way or the other.)
Originally shared by Tosca Johnson
#diversity
“It’s pretty well established by research,” said about a politically controversial issue, conveys no information unless accompanied by a pointer to the research in question.
Having done no research on the subject myself, I would expect any such effect to depend on mental diversity, not racial diversity, with the latter at best a poor proxy for the former.
“It’s pretty well established by research,” said about a politically controversial issue, conveys no information unless accompanied by a pointer to the research in question.
Having done no research on the subject myself, I would expect any such effect to depend on mental diversity, not racial diversity, with the latter at best a poor proxy for the former.
I’ll say that in my own experience in 25 years in software development that at least gender diversity makes a big difference. I have found that on all-male teams, a locker-room mentality sets in, and we underestimate task complexity and duration. Even adding one woman to the same all-male team has broken that mindset and improved our estimates and design plans.
I can’t point to a study, but I see the truth in diversity making tech teams better.
I’ll say that in my own experience in 25 years in software development that at least gender diversity makes a big difference. I have found that on all-male teams, a locker-room mentality sets in, and we underestimate task complexity and duration. Even adding one woman to the same all-male team has broken that mindset and improved our estimates and design plans.
I can’t point to a study, but I see the truth in diversity making tech teams better.
Fair call, +David Friedman: there apparently isn’t a correlation between ethnic diversity and innovation, according to this study:
http://vbn.aau.dk/ws/files/203812913/Diverstity_RP_2011.pdf
However, there are plenty of studies – and that one summarizes them – about the importance of other forms of diversity in promoting innovation.
Fair call, +David Friedman: there apparently isn’t a correlation between ethnic diversity and innovation, according to this study:
http://vbn.aau.dk/ws/files/203812913/Diverstity_RP_2011.pdf
However, there are plenty of studies – and that one summarizes them – about the importance of other forms of diversity in promoting innovation.
The case of gender diversity is interesting and complicated, considered a priori since I have done no research at all:
1. I would expect gender diversity to correlate with intellectual diversity somewhat better than ethnic diversity would.
2. Humans are “as if designed” for reproductive success, so tend to put a lot of energy and attention into mate search. That might make a mixed gender team less productive. On the other hand …
3. Part of mate search is trying to impress potential mates, which might be an incentive for members of a mixed gender team to work harder and smarter on the team’s projects.
The case of gender diversity is interesting and complicated, considered a priori since I have done no research at all:
1. I would expect gender diversity to correlate with intellectual diversity somewhat better than ethnic diversity would.
2. Humans are “as if designed” for reproductive success, so tend to put a lot of energy and attention into mate search. That might make a mixed gender team less productive. On the other hand …
3. Part of mate search is trying to impress potential mates, which might be an incentive for members of a mixed gender team to work harder and smarter on the team’s projects.