Defining diversity in groupwork: A relational exploration

One of the basic assumptions underlying all traditional definitions is that diversity is a characteristic of an individual or a group, which is a problematic to groupwork. This paper explores Phases 1 and 2 of a multi-method research project exploring groupworkers’ understandings of diversity and how their perceptions impact their approach to group processes, with implications for group practice advancement. The project consists of sequential phases following a mixed-methods design. In the initial phase, in-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted individually with 24 groupworkers. While the second phase (phase two) consisted of 4 focus groups involving theoretical and criterion sampling strategies to interview experienced therapeutically-oriented groupworkers in Western and Eastern Canada. The analysis was guided by Glaser and Strauss’s (1967) constant comparative method involving open-coding, followed by axial coding, and concluded with selective coding. Groupworkers reported feeling overwhelmed and, in some cases, “paralyzed” by the complex diversity present in their groups. These findings suggest attention to group diversity renders it potentially more relevant and salient. We also found the levels and complexity of diversity increased as the reflection by groupworkers deepened. In keeping with the traditional aims of groupwork, attending to diversity goes beyond the group to include responses to diversity in the organizational and community contexts. Dialogue and change in organizational responses to diversity is important in the areas of organizational climate, allocation of resources, and agency policy and procedures. Accordingly, offering groupworkers and members tools to attend and navigate diversity in situ is a first step towards recognizing its presence and importance. A critical step in moving forward is to examine the nuances of diversity and move beyond thinking of diversity in terms of demographic variables.

Group diversity and employee service innovative behavior in the hospitality industry: a multilevel model

Purpose Service innovative behavior from employees helps hospitality organizations gain a competitive advantage and sustain business flourishment. Although group diversity has been demonstrated as a predictor of employee outcomes, whether group diversity in terms of extraversion and openness enhances employee service innovative behavior remains a gap. This study aims to fill this gap by developing a multilevel model of the direct relationship between group diversity in terms of extraversion and openness and employee service innovative behavior and also the mediations and moderations behind the relationship. Design/methodology/approach The authors collectd data from 44 Chinese hospitality teams. The research model was validated by multilevel structural equation modeling. Findings Results showed that both group extraversion diversity and group openness diversity fostered employee service innovative behavior via creative self-efficacy. Developmental culture strengthened the effectiveness of group openness diversity on creative self-efficacy and the effectiveness of creative self-efficacy on employee service innovative behavior. Nevertheless, developmental culture did not strengthen the effectiveness of group extraversion diversity on creative self-efficacy. Practical implications Findings suggest that managers and team leaders from hospitality organizations can elicit employee service innovative behavior through increasing group diversity in terms of extraversion and openness. Hospitality practitioners also should understand that employees’ confidence for creativity is able to channel group diversity into employee service innovative endeavors. Moreover, building developmental culture is essential for hospitality teams to strengthen the effect of group diversity on innovating services. Originality/value This study expands the diversity-innovation research through unfolding both the mediations and the moderations behind the link between group diversity in terms of extraversion and openness and employee service innovative behavior.

Metal accumulation capacity in indigenous Alaska vegetation growing on military training lands

Permafrost thawing could increase soil contaminant mobilization in the environment. Our objective was to quantify metal accumulation capacities for plant species and functional groups common to Alaskan military training ranges where elevated soil metal concentrations were likely to occur. Plant species across multiple military training range sites were collected. Metal content in shoots and roots was compared to soil metal concentrations to calculate bioconcentration and translocation factors. On average, grasses accumulated greater concentrations of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Zn relative to forbs or shrubs, and bioconcentrated greater concentrations of Ni and Pb. Shrubs bioconcentrated greater concentrations of Sb. Translocation to shoots was greatest among the forbs. Three native plants were identified as candidate species for use in metal phytostabilization applications. Elymus macrourus, a grass, bioconcentrated substantial concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn in roots with low translocation to shoots. Elaeagnus commutata, a shrub, bioconcentrated the greatest amounts of Sb, Ni, and Cr, with a low translocation factor. Solidago decumbens bio-concentrated the greatest amount of Sb among the forbs and translocated the least amount of metals. A combination of forb, shrub, and grass will likely enhance phytostabilization of heavy metals in interior Alaska soils through increased functional group diversity.

“Why Not Nuevo Mexicano Studies?”: Interrogating Latinidades in the Intermountain West, 1528–2020

While there has been an explosion of scholarly interest in the historical and contemporary social, economic, and political status of U.S. Latinx individuals and communities, the majority focuses on traditional Southwestern U.S., Northeastern U.S., and South Florida rural/urban enclaves. Recent “New Destinations” research, however, documents the turn of the 21st century Latinx experiences in non-traditional white/black, and rural/urban Latinx regional enclaves. This socio-historical essay adds to and challenges emerging literature with a nearly five-century old delineation of Latinidad in the Intermountain West, a region often overlooked in the construction of Latina/o identity. Selected interviews from the Spanish-Speaking Peoples in Utah Oral History and Wyoming’s La Cultura Hispanic Heritage Oral History projects shed light on Latinidad and the adoption of Latinx labels in the region during the latter third of the 20th century centering historical context, material conditions, sociodemographic characteristics, and institutional processes in this decision. Findings point to important implications for the future of Latinidad in light of the region’s Latinx renaissance at the turn of the 21st century. The region’s increased Latino proportional presence, ethnic group diversity, and socioeconomic variability poses challenges to the region’s long-established Hispano/Nuevo Mexicano Latinidad.

Using Culturally and Contextually Informed Theorizing in Research on Post-Traumatic Growth

There is popular and scholarly interest in the idea that adverse experiences may promote character/virtue development. Scholarship can address previous methodological and conceptual limitations by studying character development processes in groups that demonstrate high exposure to adversity and high virtues. Though there is substantial within-group diversity, prior research shows that Mexican Americans display high character strengths (including relatedness, spirituality, and prosocial behaviors) and high rates of exposure to adversities. The authors discuss conceptual models that explore the cultural development of character growth from late childhood to early adulthood, with an emphasis on longitudinal changes in relatedness, spirituality, and prosocial behaviors among individuals who are diverse on adversity exposures and individual characteristics that might trigger growth following adversity. To address prior critical methodological and conceptual limitations, the discussion centers on differentiating among whether individuals who have experienced no adversities, traumatic events, and chronic adversities may show differential trajectories of change and the exploration of mechanisms that may support growth processes. The work advances an understanding of character strength development in a rapidly growing and relatively vulnerable US population.

Diversity of roots and root systems in pauciennial dicots

Исторически сложившийся в ботанике стереотип представлений об аллоризном строении корней и корневых систем малолетних (одно-двулетних) растений из класса Двудольных может стать серьезной помехой для объективной оценки разнообразия этой интереснейшей группы жизненных форм цветковых растений. При более внимательном изучении морфологии и анатомии корней в динамике их онтогенетического развития выявляется существенная неполнота наших знаний в этой области и отсутствие необходимого уровня развития терминологии, которые сказываются на содержательности изданных учебных пособий. Рассмотренные в этих пособиях хрестоматийные примеры дают далеко не полную картину природного разнообразия морфологической и анатомической структуры корней и в них, часто бывают недооценены или просто опущены важные детали в процессе их развития. К числу таких деталей относится коллет - структура в переходной зоне между главным корнем и гипокотилем, которой свойственна своя анатомия и морфология (развитие волосков или ризоидов), включая примордии боковых корней, закладывающихся внутри коллета иногда еще в ходе эмбриогенеза. Historically borned stereotype on allorhizy of pauciennial (annual-biennial) plants from Dicots can be valuable interference for objective representations (describing) of this extremely interesting flowering plant group diversity. Via more attentive and deep research of the morphology and anatomy of roots in their ontogenetic development dynamics we can observe (reveal) ncompleteness of our knowledge in this area and unsufficient level of terminology which could have negative influence on our published text-books content. Hackneyed examples that were presented in these text-books can illustrate far from the full picture of natural diversity of root morphology and anatomy with some valuable details of their development obviously underestimated or simply omitted. There is a collet amongst these details - more or less inflated transition zone between radicle and hypocotyl with its own anatomy and morphology features (cover from trichomes or rhyzoides), including lateral roots primordia which can be initiated inside even during embryogenesis.