【WantMoreInnovation？GetMoreDiversity（多样性）ResearchbymycolleagueandIsuggeststhatuniversityadministratorswhodonotworkhardtoattractandretainAfrican-Americanteachingstaffmaywellbemissingoutonanimportantbenefit】

　　WantMoreInnovation？GetMoreDiversity（多样性）

　　ResearchbymycolleagueandIsuggeststhatuniversityadministratorswhodonotworkhardtoattractandretainAfrican-Americanteachingstaffmaywellbemissingoutonanimportantbenefit：Academicdepartmentsthataremorediversemayproducemorecreativeideasandwork．

　　Amathematicalmodelhasbeendevelopedtostudytheeffectsofdiversity．Andwediscoveredasimpletruth：Morediversegroupsmaydobetterbecausetheyarelessconformist（墨守成规的）．

　　Pictureit：You'rebrainstormingwithyourbestfriendof30years．Yougrewupinthesameneighborhood，wenttothesameschool，andstoodupforeachotheratyourweddings．Whenacrazyideacrossesyourmind，youimmediatelyseeallthereasonswhyhemaydismissit．Ontheotherhand，youknowwhatideasheisreceptiveto-sowhynotstartwiththose？

　　Nowsupposeyou'rebrainstormingwithsomeonewhogrewupwithadifferentperspectiveandwhohasverydifferentexperiencesfromyou．Wouldyoubemorewillingtoshareyourcrazyideawithher？Afterall，youhavenocluewhatideassheisopento-sowhynottryitout？

　　Somethinglikethismaybegoingonintheacademicworkplace．Weoftendon'trealizeit，butweconstantlythinkabouthowpeoplearounduswillreacttous．Initself，thisisnotabadthing．Ifwedidn'tputourselvesintootherpeople'sshoes，we'dexperienceevenmoredisagreementsandmisunderstandingsthanwealreadydo．

　　Butourresearchsuggeststhatalittleunpredictabilitymaynotbeabadthing．Infact，alittlemoreunpredictabilitymaybewhatweneedtomakeusallalittlelessconformistandalittlemoreopentotryingnewthings．

　　Extensivedatasuggestthatmorediverseteamsoutperformhomogeneous（同质的） teamswhenitiscrucialtobeinnovative，whichagreeswithourmathematicalmodel．

　　Soifdiversegroupsoutperformmorehomogeneousones，whydouniversityadministratorsnotchoosetohiremoreAfrican-Americans？Therearemanypossiblereasons，butoneisthatpeoplehaveatendencytohirepeoplelikethemselves．Interactingwithpeoplelikeourselvesallowsustostaywithinourcomfortzones．Itiscertainlyeasiertofindcommongroundwithone'sfriendof30yearsthanwithastranger．Yetgiventheincreasingem