David Amodio (Social Psychology)
Astrid Homan (Work & Organisational Psychology)
David Amodio’s (Social Psychology) question:
Dear Astrid,
In recent years, the lack of diversity in academia has received growing attention, relating to broader concerns about equity and diversity in society. Yet many people in academia—especially those in power—seem reluctant to take serious action. Based on your research, what would you say to such a person? What has your research taught us about the benefits of diversity to organizations, in addition to its benefits for society and members of underrepresented groups?
David
Astrid Homan’s (Work & Organisational Psychology) answer:
Dear Dave,
Diversity is, in potential, a key ingredient of flourishing organizations and societies. The importance of diversity is not just an ethical issue, but also a practical one. With good management, diversity can have important benefits for organizations (and societies), such as more creativity and innovation, better problem solving, better adaptability in dynamic and complex contexts, and more in-depth thinking. Importantly, by providing equal opportunities to everyone, we stimulate talent from all backgrounds to fully participate at work and in society, which will further the potential to reap the benefits of diversity. However, and that is where the problem often lies, diversity needs to be managed well. Differences between individuals may lead to friction, mis-communication, and conflicts, which are costly for organizations and society. As such, diversity can be a painful experience. My message as an organizational psychologist is of course to not avoid diversity in academia, but to make sure that individuals on all levels have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) to manage diversity well.
First, it is important to be aware of the double-edged nature of diversity and to not assume that diversity will automatically result in positive (or negative) outcomes. Without a clear understanding of how diversity works, it is difficult to reap the benefits in diversity and to avoid disappointment when benefits don’t result. When individuals understand that diversity can lead to negative processes between different individuals, they can also address these negative processes when they occur. Second, one should provide individuals with sufficient skills to reap the benefits in diversity and address the potential downsides of diversity. By means of skill-based diversity training (rather than only awareness training), organizations can stimulate active listening, perspective taking, and epistemic motivation (i.e., the willingness to spend effort to develop a thorough, deep, and rich understanding of a situation). Finally, and crucially, stimulating a positive diversity mindset seems to be key in effective diversity management. By communicating as an organization that diversity is seen as something beneficial for organizations (both morally and practically), people are inherently more willing to make use of each other’s unique viewpoints and ideas, rather than seeing those differences as annoying or distracting. In sum, I would say that it is not only crucial to stimulate diversity within academia, but also to significantly invest in diversity management in order to inspire greater creativity, problem-solving, and performance in research and teaching.
Astrid
Astrid Homan’s question is for Jaap Lancee (Clinical Psychology)
Dear Jaap,
We have recently heard a lot about depressive symptoms increasing in younger individuals, especially in the last years during the Covid-19 pandemic. Does this mean that more individuals experience insomnia and nightmares, and do you have some insights based on your own research on how to treat such insomnia and nightmares?
Astrid
David Amodio’s (Social Psychology) question:
Dear Astrid,
In recent years, the lack of diversity in academia has received growing attention, relating to broader concerns about equity and diversity in society. Yet many people in academia—especially those in power—seem reluctant to take serious action. Based on your research, what would you say to such a person? What has your research taught us about the benefits of diversity to organizations, in addition to its benefits for society and members of underrepresented groups?
David
Astrid Homan’s (Work & Organisational Psychology) answer:
Dear Dave,
Diversity is, in potential, a key ingredient of flourishing organizations and societies. The importance of diversity is not just an ethical issue, but also a practical one. With good management, diversity can have important benefits for organizations (and societies), such as more creativity and innovation, better problem solving, better adaptability in dynamic and complex contexts, and more in-depth thinking. Importantly, by providing equal opportunities to everyone, we stimulate talent from all backgrounds to fully participate at work and in society, which will further the potential to reap the benefits of diversity. However, and that is where the problem often lies, diversity needs to be managed well. Differences between individuals may lead to friction, mis-communication, and conflicts, which are costly for organizations and society. As such, diversity can be a painful experience. My message as an organizational psychologist is of course to not avoid diversity in academia, but to make sure that individuals on all levels have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) to manage diversity well.
First, it is important to be aware of the double-edged nature of diversity and to not assume that diversity will automatically result in positive (or negative) outcomes. Without a clear understanding of how diversity works, it is difficult to reap the benefits in diversity and to avoid disappointment when benefits don’t result. When individuals understand that diversity can lead to negative processes between different individuals, they can also address these negative processes when they occur. Second, one should provide individuals with sufficient skills to reap the benefits in diversity and address the potential downsides of diversity. By means of skill-based diversity training (rather than only awareness training), organizations can stimulate active listening, perspective taking, and epistemic motivation (i.e., the willingness to spend effort to develop a thorough, deep, and rich understanding of a situation). Finally, and crucially, stimulating a positive diversity mindset seems to be key in effective diversity management. By communicating as an organization that diversity is seen as something beneficial for organizations (both morally and practically), people are inherently more willing to make use of each other’s unique viewpoints and ideas, rather than seeing those differences as annoying or distracting. In sum, I would say that it is not only crucial to stimulate diversity within academia, but also to significantly invest in diversity management in order to inspire greater creativity, problem-solving, and performance in research and teaching.
Astrid
Astrid Homan’s question is for Jaap Lancee (Clinical Psychology)
Dear Jaap,
We have recently heard a lot about depressive symptoms increasing in younger individuals, especially in the last years during the Covid-19 pandemic. Does this mean that more individuals experience insomnia and nightmares, and do you have some insights based on your own research on how to treat such insomnia and nightmares?
Astrid
