Destabilizing Divergence and Convergence: An Intervention to Transcend the Tension Between Diversity and Creativity in Teams

• In Event: ICA Interactive Paper/Poster Session I
  In Interactive Poster Session: Organizational Communication Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

Diverse teams have the potential to foster creative solutions to society’s most pressing challenges. Yet, research on diverse collaboration suggests these teams face a dilemma: the very features that set these teams up to innovate are associated with elevated communication challenges which can hinder their success. In this paper, we develop a framework in which the tension between divergence and convergence can be used to manage these challenges to facilitate the creative process. We then use this framework to design and implement an intervention to enable a radically diverse cohort of researchers interested in addressing the issue of resilience to climate change. Our intervention sought to transcend the challenges of diversity through a longitudinal oscillation between moments of divergence, which emphasized diverse perspectives, and convergence, which helped to achieve coordination and common-ground. Our analysis of outcomes from this intervention shows initially promising results and provides opportunities for further development.

Authors

• Sam Wilson, U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Luisa Ruge-Jones, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• William C. Barley, U of Illinois

• Marshall Scott Poole, Texas A&M U

• John Moder, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities

• Algirdas S Kuslikis, American Indian Higher Education Consortium

• Joseph Whittaker, Morgan State U