Team Creativity: A Process Model

Author:

Hanke, Ralph C.M.

Graduate Program:

Business Administration

Degree:

Doctor of Philosophy

Document Type:

Dissertation

Date of Defense:

December 02, 2005

Committee Members:

Barbara Louise Gray, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Linda K Trevino, Committee Member
John R Austin, Committee Member
James Lewis Farr, Committee Member

Keywords:

Creativity
Teams
Transaqctive Memory Systems
Conflict

Abstract:

A process model of team creativity is proposed and tested. More specifically, the relationship between transactive memory systems, team level lateral and analogical thinking, task and relationship conflict, conflict management, and team creativity is examined. A longitudinal study using 100 student teams provides evidence for the importance of transactive memory systems to team creativity. The results also show that relationship conflict plays an important negative role in team creativity, but that a strong transactive memory system creates lower levels of relationship conflict. In addition, evidence is provided for the positive role of team level analogical and lateral thinking in team creativity. Further, the study extends the transactive memory system concept by adding a fourth dimension, accuracy/consensus. Finally, the results include both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the new transactive memory system scale, the analogical thinking scale, the lateral thinking scales, and a two-factor creative output measure. Implications for theory and practice are discussed and directions for future research are suggested.