Uncovering the paradox of diversity: better results, lower satisfaction

While people say that the like the idea of a diverse workforce, and evidence suggests that diverse teams perform better than homogeneous ones, but nonetheless, people report higher job satisfaction when they are on teams of the same gender.

At least that is the result of a recent study by economists Sara Fisher Ellison and Wallace Mullen, "Diversity, Social Goods Provision, and Performance in the Firm". Apparently, mixed gender work situations lead to lower job satisfaction, but the revenue figures show they were more effective. Trying to reconcile opinions in diverse groups leads to deeper examination of alternative perspectives, which is more work, and often involves having to confront personal biases. So, the paradoxical result: better results, but lower job satisfaction.