A new study reveals that while teams with diverse expertise generate unique ideas, they often struggle with practical implementation. This research challenges the trendy belief that diversity always boosts creativity and offers critical insights for businesses.
A recent study conducted by a joint research team from the University of Waterloo, Xiamen University and Texas Tech University questions the prevailing assumption that teams with diverse expertise are inherently more creative. The findings, published in the journal Management Science, reveal that while diversity in skill sets can lead to novel ideas, these ideas often lack practicality.
The study delves into the dynamics of team creativity using neuroimaging, marking a significant first in the accounting field. It demonstrates that teams composed of members with varied expertise, such as engineers and accountants, produce more unique proposals but struggle to create implementable solutions.
“Our study challenges the trendy belief that teams with diverse expertise always boost creativity,” Adam Presslee, a professor from the School of Accounting and Finance at the University of Waterloo, said in a news release. “While teams with differing skill sets and perspectives tend to come up with more original ideas, they also face friction when trying to turn those ideas into practical, implementable solutions.”
The research utilized cutting-edge brain-scanning technology known as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to observe real-time brain activity during team collaborations. This innovative approach allowed the researchers to peer inside the “black box” of the brain and better understand how functional diversity impacts creative processes.
In the study, 40 two-person teams were fitted with fNIRS brain-scanning caps. The teams were tasked with brainstorming creative uses for an unused university space.
The results showed that while teams with diverse backgrounds generated more unique ideas, they were less effective at crafting those ideas into workable solutions. The synchronization of brain activities in specific areas was found to affect the uniqueness and usefulness of the ideas produced.
The researchers offered two significant insights from their study.
First, while diversity in expertise enhances the originality of team ideas, it also complicates their practical implementation. This creates a balancing act for managers in leveraging team creativity.
Second, the study highlighted that different skill sets trigger distinct areas of the brain associated with divergent and convergent thinking.
“For companies to get the most out of their teams, they need to think carefully about what kind of creative output they want,” Presslee added. “Diverse expertise is great if the goal is innovative, ‘out of the box’ ideas. But if you need timely usable ideas, you may want a more focused, uniform team.”
This study poses essential questions for businesses regarding the application of functional diversity. It underscores that a one-size-fits-all approach does not apply when leveraging team creativity.