Does Reducing Communication Barriers Promote Diversity?

Abstract

We study how a reduction in communication cost affects equilibrium diversity (in expertise) in hiring decisions. The key trade-off is that, while hiring a more diverse team may enlarge the team's pool of knowledge, it also makes communication between the hired experts more challenging. Equilibrium diversity balances this trade-off. We find that equilibrium diversity may exhibit a U-shape relationship with communication cost, reaching its lowest point at moderate cost values, where experts' incentives to communicate are most sensitive to changes in diversity.

Keywords: diversity, communication

JEL Classification: D82, D83, M14