Diversity and Group Creativity

It is often presumed that diversity of group members will enhance group creativity. However, the evidence for this has been mixed. This chapter summarizes the state of the science in this area and provides an integrative framework based on the categorization elaboration model of van Knippenberg and colleagues. It focuses on the factors that influence the expression of diverse perspectives, attention to such expressions, the elaboration of the shared ideas, and how these lead to creative outcomes. It evaluates the importance of identity factors in this process and discusses the potential impact on both divergent and convergent creativity. It notes some of the gaps in the literature and suggests future directions.