Innovation: Integration of Random Variation and Creative Synthesis

Synthesis in Action: Response to Chen and Adamson

“…In their dialogue piece Chen and Adamson (2015) argue that those aspects are consistent with an evolutionary process. One goal of contrasting the dialectic process with the evolutionary model that has dominated our study and understanding of group creativity was to articulate aspects of the group creativity process that have not yet been well elaborated in the literature.…”

“…In their dialogue piece Chen and Adamson (2015) provide a superb illustration of creative synthesis in action by integrating the thesis of evolutionary theory with the antithesis of dialectic theory to develop a newly synthesized construct, "evolutionary synthesis." Their extension of the creative process is exciting, raising both new insights and new questions for group creativity research.…”

“…Chen and Adamson (2015) rely on organizational-level research, such as Astley's (1985) community ecology, to describe the underlying dialectic processes used to explain affirmative group creativity as compatible with evolutionary theory. Chen and Adamson (2015) rely on organizational-level research, such as Astley's (1985) community ecology, to describe the underlying dialectic processes used to explain affirmative group creativity as compatible with evolutionary theory.…”

“…Chen and Adamson (2015) observe that a key feature of an evolutionary process is reliance on the external environment as well. Chen and Adamson (2015) observe that a key feature of an evolutionary process is reliance on the external environment as well.…”

“…In addition to highlighting ways that the evolutionary and dialectic models are compatible, Chen and Adamson (2015) reintroduce and reemphasize diversity and conflict as important components of the creative process. They then propose that the contribution of creative synthesis can be increased through inclusion of "negation .…”