Value in Diversity? Effort and performance in group decision-making

When does cultural and ethical diversity enhance or detract from the quality of group decisions made in, for example, working groups, expert panels, and political committees? The research project uses economic theory, game theory, and laboratory experiments to shed light on this question.
It focuses on informational and ethical decision quality. Informational quality is at stake when good decisions depend on decision-makers putting effort into obtaining information before making a decision. Ethical quality matters when groups decide on dishonest actions; relevant examples are boards of directors deceiving consumers about a product's health risks or falsifying financial statements.
The project's findings will provide a basis for designing groups and decisions to achieve a high probability of well-informed decisions or a low incidence of dishonest actions. They will thus be valuable in areas such as public administration, management, and legislation.