A Social Composition View of Team Creativity: The Role of Member Nationality-Heterogeneous Ties Outside of the Team

Jill E. Perry-Smith () and Christina E. Shalley ()
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Jill E. Perry-Smith: Goizueta Business School, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Christina E. Shalley: Georgia Institute of Technology, Scheller Business College, Atlanta, Georgia 30308

Organization Science, 2014, vol. 25, issue 5, 1434-1452

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.

Keywords: social networks; team creativity; outside ties; nationality; tie strength (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (25)

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