Unlocking neurodiversity: the role of horizontal differentiation and social cognitive integration as antecedents of team performance

Purpose This study aims to test a moderated mediation model of the relationship between neurodiversity and team performance, mediated by social cognitive integration and positively moderated by horizontal cognitive differentiation. Design/methodology/approach The authors used neurodiversity survey data from 40 intact organizational teams, including data from all team members and their leaders, and tested the moderated mediation model using bootstrapping. Neurodivergent conditions, horizontal cognitive differentiation (i.e. the distribution of knowledge and expertise among team members, expanding the range of available cognitive resources) and social cognitive integration (i.e. a collaborative process of knowledge sharing, evaluation and elaboration) were evaluated by team members, and team performance was evaluated by the leaders. Findings The results show that neurodiversity fosters social cognitive integration in teams only when horizontal cognitive differentiation is high. Moreover, social cognitive integration mediates the association between neurodiversity and team performance, whereas the remaining main effect of neurodiversity on team performance is positive and significant. Originality/value This study contributes to the limited body of knowledge that examines neurodiversity in organizational settings and presents one of the first empirical tests of the relation between neurodiversity and team outcomes, building on the combination of cognitive differentiation and integration.