Diversity in One Dimension Alongside Greater Similarity in Others: Evidence from FP7 Cooperative Research Teams

Abstract

Although diversity between team members may bring benefits of new perspectives, nevertheless, what holds a team together is similarity. We theorise that diversity in one dimension is traded off against diversity in another. Our analysis of collaborative research teams that received FP7 funding presents robust results that indicators of diversity in several dimensions (diversity of organizational form (universities, firms, etc.), diversity in nationality, and inequality in project funding share) are negatively correlated with each other.

Keywords: diversity, collaborative teams, FP7 research funding

JEL Classification: O30, M14, O19