Diversity in groups &
organizations
Diversity is a double edged sword

Diversity on job-related dimensions seems to
–
–
–
–

Bring more ideas & skills into a group
Increase contact with stakeholders outside the group
Increase innovation and problem solving
Decrease internal communication quality
Effects of many types of diversity (including functional
area)
–
–
–
Increases tension & conflict
Decreases cohesion
[Henry Tam case]
2
Ideo: A model for positive diversity
effects



IDEO is an international design and innovation
consultancy
550 employees in of human factors, mechanical,
electrical and software engineering, industrial
design, interaction design, and communication
design.
Has won more of the BusinessWeek/IDSA Industrial
Design Excellence Awards than any other firm,
ranked in the top 25 most innovative companies by
BusinessWeek and does consulting work for the
other 24 companies in the top 25.
4
Handspring | Visor
Proud history of design innovation
5
Open ideo: Design thinking for global problems
Wind tree
Childcare franchise
SunSaluter
Charger swap box
13
IDEO

How do you institutionalize creativity?
 Creativity = application of old ideas to new
context & combination of old ideas +
transformation
 Brokering: Combining old components from
other industries and transforming them to fit
new problem in a new industry
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Innovation thru recombination

How to pack a 25 meter-diameter solar panel
in a in a 2.7 m space capsule
 Use folding design principles from origami
15
Origami for space
16
IDEO Shopping Cart Project
17
Hargadon & Sutton Model of
Innovation at Ideo
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Organizational memory
•
Stored information from an organization's
history that can be brought to bear on
present decisions
19
Components of an organizational
memory
•
Structure of a retention facility
+ the information in it
• Processing information
•
•
•
Acquisition
Storage
Retrieval
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Creativity through network position,
diversity + memory structures

Source of relevant solution components
–
–

Network position: Diversity in clients
Diversity in skills & background of employees
Organizational memory storage
–
–
–
–
Hiring
Working with clients
Consultants
On the job training, to become an instant expert
21
Acquisition: Where do the “memories”
come from?

Working with variety of clients from many industries
 Hiring for functional diversity
 Encouraging employees to “have a life” and bring it to
bear on the present problem
–




Farm background, bikes, toys, skiing
Reading the trades
Competitive analysis
Consultants
On the job training, to become an instant expert
22
Ideo embraces diversity

Achieving harmony between human life
and technological design requires a
strong understanding of the diversity and
variety in both people and technology, as
well as processes for bringing the two
together. At IDEO we strive to embrace
diversity.
–
David J. Gilmore
–
–

Velma L. Velfizquez
IDEO Product Development
IDEO is considered distinctive for its
ability to integrate the disparate cultures
of engineering and design: It routinely
combines creative innovation with
pragmatic engineering and
manufacturing. IDEO's success rests not
just on the abilities of individual
designers, but even more on an overall
approach to design that emphasizes
group work and cross-functional
development.
–
–
Bradley Hartfield
Terry Winograd
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Organizational memory storage
In employee’s heads
 Documentation of prior projects
 Personal and corporate Tech Boxes of “cool
stuff”
 Organizational routines (e.g., seminar series)

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Kelley: How to cross-pollinate
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Hire people with diverse backgrounds. Sift through the job applications
looking for someone who will expand your talent pool or stretch the
firm's capabilities.
Cross cultures and geographies. A well-blended international staff
seems to cross-pollinate naturally from other cultures.
Seek out diverse projects. A broad range of client work allows you to
cross-pollinate from one world to another.
Create multidisciplinary project rooms and create lots of space for
accidental or impromptu meetings among people from disparate
groups.
Show and tell. The IDEO Tech Box, a collection of hundreds of
promising technologies, is a systematic approach to collecting and
sharing what we know.
Host a weekly speaker series. Nearly every week, a world-class
thinker shows up to share their thoughts with us.
Learn from visitors. Listen to what clients or prospective clients say
about their industry, their company, their point of view.
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Retrieval: Organizational routines to turn
components into new products




Organized brainstorming to share ideas & locate
expertise
Emphasis on analogy
Climate of “wisdom” (share knowledge & help each
other) + humility (be willing to ask)
Reward system, including reputation &
compensation, to support these
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Organizational Culture at IDEO

Respect for quality not status
–
Flat organizational hierarchy
– Rotation thru project groups
– Rotation thru leadership positions
– Brainstorming to learn who knows what

Culture of playfulness
–
$ for toys, decorations
– Celebration of “cool”
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