Collective Creativity - Problem-Solving at Work

While many studies have focused on individual creativity, there is much less research focused on collective creativity or group creativity.

The latest article by Andrew Hargadon and Beth Bechky in the Organization Science Journal is therefore worth reading: When Collections of Creatives Become Creative Collectives - A Field Study of Problem Solving at Work.

Hargadon and Bechky start by acknowledging previous research:

Finding novel solutions is inherently linked to the issue of defining problems — which definition of the problem is recalled identifies which set of solutions is considered relevant (Getzels 1975).

They continue:

"Organizations may therefore benefit when people
come together to collectively work on defining and solving
problems, and we need to deepen our understanding
of how such collective problem solving happens."

Analysis of the their field data reveals following 4 sets of interrelating
activities that play a role in triggering moments
of collective creativity:

1) Help seeking describes activities that occur when an individual who either recognizes or is assigned a problematic situation actively seeks the assistance of others.

2) Help giving, conversely, represents the willing devotion of time and attention to assisting with the work of others.

3) Reflective reframing represents the mindful
behaviors of all participants in an interaction, where
each respectfully attends to and builds upon the comments
and actions of others.

4) Reinforcing reflects  those activities that subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) reinforce the organizational values that support individuals as they engage in help seeking, help giving, and
reflective reframing.

OK, there are those 4 sets. Hargadon & Bechky (2006) successfully manage to illustrate practical cases and processes from consulting companies and design companies where those sets get realised.

Still, to me, their greatest contribution is to Amabile's Componential Model of Creativity. 

According to Amabile (1983, 67):

"The componential framework of creativity includes three major components: ... "Domain-Relevant Skills" can be considered as the basis of for any performance in a given domain... "Creativity-Relevant Skills " include cognitive style, application of heuristics for the exploration of new cognitive pathways, and working style. ... "Task motivation" includes motivational variables that determine an individual's approach to a given task.

Hargadon & Bechky Extension: "Because collective creativity takes place in moments when any one individual does not hold all of the necessary knowledge to construct a creative solution, the potential for a creative solution requires the domain-relevant skills of multiple participants". ... "Considering the moments in which help seeking, help giving, reflective reframing, and reinforcing behaviours encourage motivation would help us to understand the role of intrinsic motivation in creativity processes".

   This article of Hargadon and Bechky had a tremendous impact on my artefact building :-)