Newcomer Influence and Creativity in Work Groups

Abstract

The major premise of this chapter is that newcomers in task groups have the potential to produce unintentional or intentional influence that facilitates group creativity. In the former case, newcomers’ mere presence elicits changes in the group. In the latter case, newcomers introduce ideas with the goal of improving group processes or outcomes. This chapter argues that intentional influence is based on newcomers’ motivation to generate and suggest ideas and current members’ willingness to consider and accept these ideas. In analyzing such influence, the chapter discusses factors associated with newcomers, current members, and the group as a whole that can affect the perceived opportunity/threat value of newcomers’ ideas and thereby current members’ receptivity to these ideas. It concludes by identifying outstanding questions regarding the mechanisms underlying intentional newcomer influence.