The Assets and Liabilities of Active Faultlines: The Role of Cognitive and Affective Processes in Team Performance

We test how active faultlines affect group performance through both cognitive and affective integration processes. We develop a framework to explain how and when active faultlines strain the interpersonal relationships within a group or, on the contrary, maintain distinct perspectives and improve performance. We test this theory using 64 MBA project teams. Our findings support our general hypotheses that a common thinking style can integrate distinct viewpoints on the team and promote positive effects of diversity on team performance, while high trust, respect, and liking between group members will limit the negative effects of diversity on team satisfaction.