Racial Diversity, Age Diversity, Interdependence, and Team Performance

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between age diversity, racial diversity, and team performance in two settings with very different requirements for member interaction. Basketball and baseball were chosen as examples of activities requiring high interdependence and low interdependence, respectively. Archival data were gathered from 871 professional basketball teams and 1,082 professional baseball teams from 1950 to 1997. The results revealed that (after controlling for team ability) age diversity and racial diversity were negatively associated with basketball team performance. Diversity on both variables was unrelated to baseball team performance. These results are interpreted in terms of the interaction patterns required in the different sports.

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