FBA SEMINAR SERIES
Influencing Diversity Beliefs Through a Personal-Testimonial, Promotion-Focused Approach
Prof. Pisitta VONGSWASDI, Assistant Professor, WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management
Date: 28 September 2022 (Wednesday)
Time: 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Venue: Online via Zoom
Host: Prof. Kraivin CHINTAKANANDA, Assistant Professor of Management
Zoom link: https://umac.zoom.us/j/96511887209
Abstract
Although researchers have highlighted the importance of diversity beliefs (i.e., team members’ perceived value of diversity) for the elaboration of information in teams, little attention has been paid to whether and how diversity beliefs can be shaped. Drawing on theory and research on team diversity beliefs, we propose that diversity beliefs are more effectively influenced by interventions using a promotion (compared to prevention) focus toward diversity with personal testimonial (compared to factual) knowledge. Results from an experiment with 175 teams revealed that both promotion focus and personal testimonial knowledge independently contributed to higher diversity beliefs, and consequently intensified team elaboration of task-relevant information as well as integration of different perspectives. Our results help to uncover key factors that can influence diversity beliefs and underscore the pivotal role of diversity beliefs in improving the extent to which team members elaborate information and integrate diverse perspectives.
Speaker
Prof. Pisitta Vongswasdi is Assistant Professor in WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management. She obtained a Master of Science (MSc)’s degree in Sociology from University of Oxford (UK). She then worked as a strategy analyst in Bangkok, and returned to the world of research by serving as a research associate in Organizational behavior at INSEAD business school based in Singapore. Before joining WHU, she received a PhD in Management at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (the Netherlands) in 2020. Her research program focuses on diversity and leadership development. Her works has appeared in major journals including Journal of Applied Psychology.
All are welcome!
