Final answer:
Diversity of perspectives within a team encourages a variety of solutions by bringing different experiences and viewpoints, which fosters innovation and creative problem-solving, as opposed to strict hierarchies or single-leader dominance that can lead to conformity and limited ideas.
Step-by-step explanation:
Diversity of perspectives is the characteristic of a team that would encourage individuals to consider a variety of solutions when working together. This is because a diverse team brings different experiences, viewpoints, and skills to the table, increasing the likelihood of innovative problem-solving and avoiding the conformity effects that can hinder decision-making. In contrast, strict adherence to hierarchy, lack of communication, and dominance of a single leader typically limit the exchange of ideas and can lead to a uniformity of thought that is less conducive to creative solutions.
Teams with a mix of genders, as shown in studies by Hoogendoorn et al. (2013), may perform better, benefiting from the varied communication styles and interpersonal relationships. Moreover, conditions fostering informational social influence, such as the unclear nature of a problem and the group's expertise, also make it more likely for individuals to consider multiple solutions, rather than just conforming to a single one.