A longitudinal study of 390 students in 64 Practical Organizational Behavior Education (PROBE) project teams was conducted on the effects of intragroup diversity and student diversity-management skills. The impact of gender, age, and nationality variables on student grades, cognitive processes, perceptions of team effectiveness, and satisfaction were examined. Although the PROBE method places emphasis on the development of teamwork skills, the study found that students were disadvantaged in their grade performance and other outcomes depending on the type of group to which they were assigned and their particular position within the group.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Alberti, R., & Emmons, M. (2001). Your perfect right: Assertiveness and equality in your life and relationships (8th ed.). Atascadero, CA: Impact Publishers, Inc.
2.
Bacon, D. R., Stewart, K. A., & Silver, W. S. (1999). Lessons from the best and worst student team experiences: How a teacher can make the difference. Journal of Management Education,23(5), 467-488.
3.
Black, J. S., Gregersen, H. B., & Mendenhall, M. E. (1992). Global assignments: Successfully expatriating and repatriating international managers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
4.
Bolton, M. K. (1999). The role of coaching in student teams: A “just-in-time” approach to learning. Journal of Management Education, 23(3), 233-250.
5.
De Dreu, C. K. W., & De Vries, N. K. (2001). Group consensus and minority influence: Implications for innovation. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
6.
Dharm, P. S. B. (1998). The role of culture theory in cross-cultural training: Amultimethod study of culture-specific, culture-general, and culture theory-based assimilators. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 29(2), 630-655.
7.
Dickenson, C., Fisher, C. F., Shaw, J. B., & Southey, G. (1995). Teaching HRMand managerial skills with the “living case.” Asia-Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 33(3), 22-39.
8.
Fisher, S. (1985). The adult learner. In W. R. Tracey (Ed.), Human resources management and development handbook (pp. 1395-1403). New York: Amacom.
9.
Hogg, M. A., & Abrams, D. (2001). Intergroup relations: Essential readings. Key readings in social psychology. Philadelphia: Psychology Press/Taylor & Francis.
10.
Jackson, S. E., May, K. E., & Whitney K. (1995). Understanding the dynamics of diversity in decision-making teams. In R. Guzzo, E. Salas, & Associates (Eds.), Team effectiveness and decision making in organizations (pp. 204-261). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
11.
Jalajas, D. S., & Sutton, R. I. (1984-1985). Feuds in student groups: Coping with whiners, martyrs, saboteurs, bullies and deadbeats. Organizational Behavior Teaching Review, 9(4), 217-227.
12.
James, K., Lovato, C., & Cropanzano, R. (1994). Correlational and known-group comparison validation of a workplace prejudice/discrimination inventory. Journal of Applied Social Psychology,24(4), 1573-1592
13.
Janis, I. (1982). Groupthink. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.
14.
Kelley, C., & Meyers, J. E. (1992). The cross-cultural adaptability inventory. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.
15.
Mendenhall. M., & Oddou, G. (1985). The dimensions of expatriate acculturation: A review. Academy of Management Review, 10(1), 39-47.
16.
Nirenberg, J. (1994). An introduction to PROBE: Practical organizational behavior education. Journal of Management Education, 18(3), 324-321.
17.
Paterson, R. J. (2000). The assertiveness workbook: How to express your ideas and stand up for yourself at work and in relationships. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
18.
Shaw, J. B., & Barrett-Power, E. (1998). The effects of diversity on small work group processes and performance. Human Relations, 51(10), 1307-1325.
19.
Shaw, J. B., Fields, M. H., Thacker, J., & Fisher, C. D. (1993). The availability of personal and external coping resources: Impact on job stress and employee attitudes during organisational restructuring. Work & Stress, 7(3), 229-246.
20.
Shaw, J. B., & Fisher, C. D. (1999). Practical organization behavior education (PROBE): Modifications and innovations. Journal of Management Education, 23(1), 13-30.
21.
Shaw, J. B., Fisher, C. D., & Southey, G. N. (1999). Evaluating organizational behavior teaching innovations: More rigorous designs, more relevant criteria, and an example. Journal of Management Education, 23(5), 509-536.
22.
Simons, G. F., & Tulin, D. P. (1990). The questions of diversity: Assessment tools for organizations and individuals. Amherst, MA: ODT Incorporated.
23.
Taylor, M. (1986). Learning for self-direction in the classroom: The pattern of a transition process. Studies in Higher Education, 11, 55-72.
24.
Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequences in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63, 384-399.
25.
Watson, W. E., & Michaelsen, L. K. (1988). Group interaction behaviors that affect group performance on an intellective task. Group & Organization Studies, 13(4), 498-516.
