Cultivating creativity in diverse teams

Diverse groups of individuals, with their confluence of ideas and perspectives, hold great potential for creativity. But cultural differences often create problems that make it difficult for such groups to work together on a creative task. Little is understood about how to harness this creative potential. I conducted a laboratory study with 14 groups comprised of individuals from various nationalities to investigate the roles of cultural dimensions and diversity along those dimensions in the creative process and on the product. While overall diversity had a negative net effect on outcomes, I found a significant relationship between a task-orientation that embraces conflict and a positive product outcome. There were also several areas in which diversity was problematic due to diverse processes and work styles. I highlight some of the ways teams can be constructed and managed to promote good conflict and embrace diverse perspectives while limiting other issues created by diversity.