Abstract: Over the past five decades, the study of diversity in work groups and organizations has become a significant domain. However, in previous research, the overall consensus seems to imply a tenuous direct relationship between diversity and performance-based outcomes. The concept of group faultlines advocates deconstructing the relationship of group diversity and process with performance output at different levels from a dynamic perspective, which is of great significance for studying group diversity. At the same time, the group faultlines construct fits well with the multiple interpersonal interactions and evolutionary characterization of top management team (TMT) that determines the outcome of organizational change, and thus provides new research perspectives. However, literature on group faultlines has two deficiencies: (1) Group members are regarded as equivalent beings; (2) and the research paradigm is not sufficiently compatible with the mechanism of group faultlines activation and evolution. What activates group faultlines? How do activated group faultlines affect the group process and organizational performance output of the TMT? These issues require urgent empirical exploration and verification.
This study investigates factors that activate the group faultlines and its mechanism affecting group processes and organizational performance output. The normative qualitative research method is used based on the Compilation of Wang Anshi Chronicles, which is associated with the relevant historical materials on the Song Dynasty and later research comments. The observation period is selected as from the time Wang Anshi first attempted to provide a skip level proposal to Emperor Song Shenzong until his second resignation as the Prime Minister of the Song Dynasty as the observation period. The interaction process, results, and causes of 52 key figures with close interaction with Wang Anshi during this period are analyzed.
Results confirm that: (1) The evolution and failure of the Xining Reform can be illustrated by the activation of group faultlines and its negative effects; (2) Wang Anshi, with his key position, different aspects of his interpersonal interaction style are the key variables that activate various group faultlines in the Xining Reform; (3) The convergence and divergence between Wang Anshi and his direct superior Song Shenzong, fellow reformers, and cooperative partners activated the group faultlines, which led to positive-negative effects and interactive evolution characterization, determining the organizational performance output.
Therefore, this study focuses on which variables and their interaction mechanism in a specific field activate the group faultlines, and then determines the group process and organizational performance output, thereby enriching and developing group faultlines theory. This study presents the following conclusions and contributions. (1) The existence of inequivalence of group members. (2) The interpersonal interaction style of key staff is an important variable that activates group faultlines. (3) Group faultlines activation and evolution can perfectly deconstruct the process of organizational change and its ultimate success or failure. (4) Group faultlines theory is a new perspective that is worthy of further research on TMT. Thus, this study provides empirical evidence and theoretical guidance for the (self-)management of multiple interpersonal interactions in TMT in organizational change.

Key words: group faultlines, Xining Political Reform, Wang Anshi, interpersonal interaction style