Originally found at Forbes, by Adi Gaskell
Diverse workplaces are valuable in all manner of ways, so it’s perhaps no surprise that MIT research finds that the more diverse a workplace is, the more profitable it is. A second study, from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, reminds us that this diversity should go beyond the traditional measures of gender, race and religion, and also take account of class diversity.
The study focused particular attention on what the authors refer to as “social class transitioners,” who are people that have managed to progress between socioeconomic classes during their life, and it emerged that those who were able to do that brought particular value to the workplace.
“People who transition between classes can learn to relate to people in a more skilled way, and they are incredibly helpful in groups, as they can understand people from all walks of life,” the researchers say. “However, it can also be an exhausting and even isolating experience for that person.”
Continue reading this article at Forbes.
Read the original research in Academy of Management Review
This research was also highlighted in an AOM Insights
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Watch a video of AOM scholar Sean R. Martin discussing the direct impact that transitioning between social classes can have on a person’s professional experiences.