群体断层激活及负面效应涌现:熙宁变法缘何从志同道合走向四分五裂?

Activation of group faultlines and its negative effects: Why does Xining political reform move from similar to opposing ambitions?

群体断层构念与决定组织变革成败的高管团队多重人际交互及其演进表征十分契合。但群体断层因为什么而激活?激活了的群体断层是如何影响高管团队的群体过程及组织绩效产出?这些问题亟需实证性的探索和检验。本研究基于《王安石年谱长编》,辅以《宋史》及后人相关专题研究,采用质性研究中的扎根理论方法,以王安石越次入对宋神宗到王安石第二次罢相为观察窗口期,对此期间与他存在密切交互关系的52个关键人物的交互过程、交互结果及成因进行了编码分析。结果发现:(1)群体断层激活及负面效应涌现能完美解释熙宁变法的演进过程及最终的失败;(2)关键岗位人员王安石人际交互风格的不同构面是激活熙宁变法中不同群体断层的主要变量;(3)王安石与直接上级宋神宗、本位群体变法新晋和他位群体同朝老臣之间交互的聚散性,决定了活化的群体断层效应正负及交互演进表征,进而决定了熙宁变法的失败。本研究为群体断层激活变量的识别及不同群体断层在同一时空下的叠加效应提供了新的洞见,同时为组织变革及高管团队多样性的管理提供了实证资鉴和理论指导。

Over the past five decades, the study of diversity in work groups and organizations has become a significant domain. However, in previous research, the overall consensus seems to imply a tenuous direct relationship between diversity and performance-based outcomes. The concept of group faultlines advocates deconstructing the relationship of group diversity and process with performance output at different levels from a dynamic perspective, which is of great significance for studying group diversity. At the same time, the group faultlines construct fits well with the multiple interpersonal interactions and evolutionary characterization of top management team(TMT) that determines the outcome of organizational change, and thus provides new research perspectives.However, literature on group faultlines has two deficiencies:(1) Group members are regarded as equivalent beings;(2) and the research paradigm is not sufficiently compatible with the mechanism of group faultlines activation and evolution. What activates group faultlines? How do activated group faultlines affect the group process and organizational performance output of the TMT? These issues require urgent empirical exploration and verification.This study investigates factors that activate the group faultlines and its mechanism affecting group processes and organizational performance output. The normative qualitative research method is used based on the Compilation of Wang Anshi Chronicles, which is associated with the relevant historical materials on the Song Dynasty and later research comments. The observation period is selected as from the time Wang Anshi first attempted to provide a skip level proposal to Emperor Song Shenzong until his second resignation as the Prime Minister of the Song Dynasty as the observation period. The interaction process, results, and causes of 52 key figures with close interaction with Wang Anshi during this period are analyzed.Results confirm that:(1) The evolution and failure of the Xining Reform can be illustrated by the activation of group faultlines and its negative effects;(2) Wang Anshi, with his key position, different aspects of his interpersonal interaction style are the key variables that activate various group faultlines in the Xining Reform;(3) The convergence and divergence between Wang Anshi and his direct superior Song Shenzong, fellow reformers, and cooperative partners activated the group faultlines, which led to positive–negative effects and interactive evolution characterization, determining the organizational performance output.Therefore, this study focuses on which variables and their interaction mechanism in a specific field activate the group faultlines, and then determines the group process and organizational performance output, thereby enriching and developing group faultlines theory. This study presents the following conclusions and contributions.(1) The existence of inequivalence of group members.(2) The interpersonal interaction style of key staff is an important variable that activates group faultlines.(3) Group faultlines activation and evolution can perfectly deconstruct the process of organizational change and its ultimate success or failure.(4) Group faultlines theory is a new perspective that is worthy of further research on TMT. Thus, this study provides empirical evidence and theoretical guidance for the(self-)management of multiple interpersonal interactions in TMT in organizational change.