A Social Composition View of Team Creativity: The Role of Member Nationality-Heterogeneous Ties Outside of the Team
Year: 2014
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: We sought to understand team member informal social network ties outside of the team as a way to achieve cognitive variation within the team, thereby facilitating creativity. Specifically, we take a configural perspective, which emphasizes individual team members and the heterogeneity and strength of their outside ties. We theorize that these characteristics of outside ties are important because they amend members’ schemas and the team’s cognitive architecture. Results of a study of 82 long-term MBA project teams suggest that both outside ties with nationality-heterogeneous individuals and weak outside ties independently facilitate team creativity. In addition, nationality-heterogeneous outside ties that are weak rather than strong are associated with higher team creative performance.
Source: Organization Science
Authors: Jill E. Perry-Smith, Christina E. Shalley
Institutions: Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2050785133