Modelling Creative Team Dynamics

Abstract

Understanding team-based creativity is essential for the Information Systems Community. Based on the extensive studies into Collaborative Information Technologies (CITs), researchers have identified that there is a "real-world" need for CIT-based support. Specifically, they found that there is a lack of understanding of collaborative teamwork which contributes to a lack of diffusion of research outcomes into practice. This paper aims to enhance our understanding through an observational study of a team working on a "follow-up" problem. We analyse the communication record within the team, collect perception data through post hoc interviews and use this data to explain the directly modelled evolution path of the focal artefact. Finally, we demonstrate that expert teams work in a non-linear fashion: heuristically guided but rather unpredictable at a detailed level.

Authenticity and Respect: Leading Creative Teams in the Performing Arts

“…Leading creative professionals comes with a range of challenges (Murphy & Ensher, ), a situation already referred to as ‘herding cats’ (Mintzberg, ). Teams of creative professionals have been found to work in a non‐linear way, i.e., ‘heuristically guided but rather unpredictable at a detailed level’ (Tan & Swatman, , p. 8). Highly skilled employees expect a significant degree of autonomy in their work, that is, they want to build on their own knowledge and expertise.…”