Abstract
Interdisciplinary teams are crucial for organizational innovation but face a dual-process challenge: disciplinary differences can either foster creativity-enhancing integrative complexity or hinder it through intellectual centrism. This study examines these opposing mechanisms and their contingent factors. Drawing on paradox theory, we propose that conflict arising from disciplinary differences activates: (1) integrative complexity (the differentiation and integration of contradictory perspectives), which enhances creative performance; and (2) intellectual centrism (a rigid adherence to one’s discipline), which inhibits creativity. Paradoxical task framing (e.g., pursuing novelty and practicality) intensifies both mechanisms. Notably, these effects primarily emerge during the convergent phase (idea selection) of the creative process, where cultural creativity norms and disciplinary comparisons are prominent. Moderator analyses reveal that a paradox mindset strengthens the integrative complexity pathway, while a middle-ground mindset weakens it. Conversely, an interdisciplinary learning attitude (e.g., growth mindset, poly culturalism) mitigates intellectual centrism. Management strategies—collective efficacy, equality of idea contribution, and constructive controversy—further moderate these pathways, enhancing integrative complexity and reducing intellectual centrism. These findings advance theory by temporally locating interdisciplinary effects within the creative process and identifying mindset- and intervention-based levers to optimize team innovation. Practical implications for structuring interdisciplinary collaboration are discussed.
Keywords
Interdisciplinary teams; Paradoxical task framing; Intellectual centrism; Team creative cognition
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.432
Citation
Liou, S., Chiu, C., Sibo, I.P., Celis, D.A., Chen, Y., Lin, S., Ai, S.,and Chang, C.(2025) The Creative Process in Interdisciplinary Teams: A Dual Mechanism Model, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.432
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 6 - Co-creation
The Creative Process in Interdisciplinary Teams: A Dual Mechanism Model
Interdisciplinary teams are crucial for organizational innovation but face a dual-process challenge: disciplinary differences can either foster creativity-enhancing integrative complexity or hinder it through intellectual centrism. This study examines these opposing mechanisms and their contingent factors. Drawing on paradox theory, we propose that conflict arising from disciplinary differences activates: (1) integrative complexity (the differentiation and integration of contradictory perspectives), which enhances creative performance; and (2) intellectual centrism (a rigid adherence to one’s discipline), which inhibits creativity. Paradoxical task framing (e.g., pursuing novelty and practicality) intensifies both mechanisms. Notably, these effects primarily emerge during the convergent phase (idea selection) of the creative process, where cultural creativity norms and disciplinary comparisons are prominent. Moderator analyses reveal that a paradox mindset strengthens the integrative complexity pathway, while a middle-ground mindset weakens it. Conversely, an interdisciplinary learning attitude (e.g., growth mindset, poly culturalism) mitigates intellectual centrism. Management strategies—collective efficacy, equality of idea contribution, and constructive controversy—further moderate these pathways, enhancing integrative complexity and reducing intellectual centrism. These findings advance theory by temporally locating interdisciplinary effects within the creative process and identifying mindset- and intervention-based levers to optimize team innovation. Practical implications for structuring interdisciplinary collaboration are discussed.