The Impact of Ethnic and Lingual Diversity on Short Term Knowledge Sharing

Based on social categorisation theory and the similarity attraction paradigm, we propose that a high degree of ethno/lingo diversity in knowledge-intensive work groups, especially short-term ones, can inhibit knowledge sharing among members. Barriers identified in the knowledge sharing literature include trust, communication, and informal social interaction. A semi-quantitative approach was applied, involving a group collaborative decision making task. The results of the research task show that knowledge sharing within groups as a whole suffers as ethnic and linguistic diversity increase for short term groups. The findings provide a starting point for theory development and suggest creating more homogeneous groups for short-term tasks.