The influence of diversity factors on individual behavior There are numerous influences that influence individual and group behavior in the workplace. Many of these are external to the workplace and include the influences of pervasive social forces that shape an individual's behavior from early childhood, such as religion, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status; physiological influences that impose both opportunities and constraints, such as age and gender; and influences resulting from the lifestyle choices individuals make, such as occupation and geographic location. The general question “how does the influence of X affect behavior?” it is too broad to address. This article will examine four specific examples of the impact of gender, religion, age and sexual orientation on workplace behavior, with the aim of illustrating the profound reach and influence of elements of diversity. a company is a common practice. What impact does the team's gender diversity have on its performance? Gender role socialization begins at a very early age, with men and women experiencing different socialization processes that result in different patterns of behavior. Girls are commonly taught to respect male authority, act communally, and resist expressing aggressive or assertive behavior. Instead, boys are socialized to be aggressive and competitive. There are certainly modern trends moving away from these stereotypes, but there is still a common level of perception that behaviors socialized from childhood persist in the workplace for adults (Karakowsky, McBey & Chuang, 2004). These early patterns of socialization and setting expectations have a lasting impact on the behaviors of adult team members.