Do we have a problem: The effects of individual- and team level problem construction on team creativity

Abstract

In this experimental study, we examined the effects of problem construction – one of the creative problem-solving processes held to influence creativity – in teams and the resulting creativity of team output. Fifty-six participants formed 28 twomember teams, and were individually induced to adopt either goal- or constraintoriented focus in problem construction. Contrary to earlier research indicating that the promotional nature of goals and the preventive nature of constraints influence different dimensions of creativity, teams consisting of members with goaloriented focus did not differ from teams that are comprised of members with constraint-oriented focus. Further, although research on team cognition has emphasised sharedness of member cognition and its benefits, our findings indicate that differences in team member cognition may not always have negative effects. That is, when two team members adopted goal- and constraint-oriented focus respectively, the originality of their solution to an ill-defined problem was enhanced. The process hypothesised to resolve the differences in team member cognition also did not have any impact on the creativity of the solutions. Implications of these findings and avenues for further research are discussed.