Collaboration: the social context of theory development

Abstract

Collaboration plays a critical role in scientific creativity. This article draws on research involving small groups and interpersonal relationships to analyze the social processes underlying scientific collaboration. 3 stages of activity in collaborative groups are discussed: formation, performance, and dissolution. In regard to group formation, we consider the characteristics of the people who join, the conditions under which they come together, and the socialization experiences they encounter. In regard to group performance, we discuss idea generation, selection, and implementation, with special emphasis on how group composition (diversity) and group processes affect creativity. In regard to group dissolution, we discuss factors that lead members of collaborative groups to stop working together, including a reduced market for the group's creative products and conflict among members regarding group goals and the ownership of ideas. We next consider the role that intergroup processes play in scientific collaboration, discussing, for example, how such processes contribute to ingroup identification and increase competitive motivation. Finally, we conclude with some brief reflections on our own collaboration of some 20 years.