Independent Self-Concept Promotes Group Creativity in a Collectivistic Cultural Context Only When the Group Norm Supports Collectivism

How does independence in self-concept affect group creativity in a collectivistic cultural context? Unlike the Western perspective that emphasizes individualism as the impetus to group creativity, we propose that in a cultural environment where collectivistic values are predominant, a combination of group members’ independent self-concept and a collectivistic group norm promotes group creativity. In an experiment involving three-person laboratory groups (N = 64 triads), we primed group members with an independent (vs. interdependent) self-concept and instructed them to work under a collectivistic (vs. individualistic) group norm. Using a collaborative idea development task, we found that groups produced more creative ideas when they combined an independent selfconcept with a collectivistic group norm than with an individualistic group norm. Further, group creativity suffered the most when members combined an independent self-concept with an individualistic group norm. Implications of these findings for research on the link between culture and group creativity are discussed.