This group had a reputation for consistently excellent work and for being tight friends with each other. Fieldwork confirmed these initial impressions. Part of their success seemed to be connected to the staff's experiments with new work roles which blurred the line between staff and faculty, between male and female, and which rejected bureaucratic supervision for broad autonomy. The results of this study highlights the interplay of commonalities and differences among employees who work closely together, shaping both their relationships and the quality of their work. The same factors that contribute to tight teamwork can also exclude competent people who don't fit.
Diversity can lead to productive experiments in work roles.
U.S. born and raised, in their 30s and 40s, homeowners, dog-lovers, people who valued hard work and their paychecks. They were, however, unconventional in three respects. Despite their low status as secretaries and administrators in a prestigious university department, the faculty respected them as professional artists. Shop talk between staff and professors nearly always centered on theater, rather than on administrative business. The excitement of performance added a spark to everyone's job.