Based on the articles I read, I totally agree that diversity is the driver for innovation and productivity.  "The First Computer Programmer Was a Woman" in Huffington Post, stated that at a time when men dominate the technology industry and business overall, a team with diverse talent - Babbage and Lovelace - pioneered the idea of a computer algorithm (Beres).  Indubitably, diversity is integral for innovation and productivity as diversity encourages critical thinking, improves the way people think and is an art of thinking independently together.

     First and foremost, diversity encourages critical thinking. A diverse team promotes the different perspective of analyzing a problem, to perform the faster, more efficient approach to solving the real-world issue. Scott Page, a professor at the University of Michigan, constructed a formal model that mathematically showed that diverse groups of problem solvers outperformed the groups with best individuals at solving problems (Page). In my opinion, people of the same background tend to think in an identical way – thus no advancement, innovation, and growth can be made. For instance, diversity in ways of thinking supports the breakthrough in science and technology through the interdisciplinary approach in scientific research (Page). In short, diversity allows ideas and decisions to be continuously challenged and eventually enhances innovation and productivity. 

     Also, diversity improves the way people think. In homogeneous groups, people are more likely to follow and trust each other mindlessly as many prefer to stay in their “comfort zone” (Levine). In contrast, people tend to scrutinize facts, think more deeply and develop own opinions in a different environment. By disrupting conformity, diversity encourages positive-competition. Without competition, we’d probably still be in the Stone Age. Without competition, we would end up settling for far less than what we are capable. With regards to Professors Woolley and Malone’s research, it is true that a group which includes more women is collectively more intelligent than a group of men with high IQs (Woolley). To summarize, diversity enables a more comprehensive viewpoint in solving real-world problems.

     Lastly, diversity is an art of thinking independently together. A study by Harvard Business Review found compelling evidence that diversity unlocks innovation and drives market growth (Hewlett). When minorities form a critical mass and leaders value differences, employees in a “speak up” culture are 3.5 times more likely to contribute their full innovative potential and unleash their value-driving insights. Ignoring a vast, diverse pool of talent is negatively affecting the proliferation of that talent. In other words, diversity unlocks innovation by creating an environment where “outside the box” ideas are valued. 

     In conclusion, I firmly believe that diversity impact innovation and productivity. Specifically, I think my home country, Malaysia, is the best illustration of "diversity improves innovation and productivity." Malaysia is unique because of its diversity of races, religions, and cultures. With a very diverse population, the government faces a big challenge when it comes to finding the perfect solutions to problems that truly satisfy each group of race, religion, and culture. Therefore, we learn to be open-minded and deal with our problems in a concrete and pragmatic fashion. Diversity bonds us together to be more united. Inevitably, Malaysian diversity fosters creativity and strengthen productivity.