Academic pedigree diversity and global virtual team dynamics and performance

Research on team diversity has been abundant but primarily focused on demographic and cultural diversity. The present study tests the effects of academic pedigree diversity among Global Virtual Team (GVT) members, a facet of diversity not explored in prior research. Using a sample of 490 global virtual teams composed of business students working on a consulting project, we find that university pedigree diversity prompts the formation of subgroups, leading to higher interpersonal conflict and lower task clarity, ultimately lowering the GVT's performance. These effects are weaker in GVTs composed of members from more reputable countries. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.