INVESTIGATING INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICT) FOR TEAM CREATIVITY: A TEAM SENSEMAKING PERSPECTIVE
Previous research has extensively addressed the impact of team autonomy and cognitive diversity on team creativity, but how this effect is facilitated by team autonomy and cognitive diversity of team creativity remains unresolved. This study examines the role of team sensemaking as an intermediary factor for the link of social environment factors with team creativity. This study extends the limited research stream that focuses on the underlying process through which inputs such as autonomy and cognitive diversity are related to team creativity. By identifying team sensemaking as an intermediary mechanism, this research promotes a more nuanced explanation of how team autonomy and cognitive diversity impact team creativity through team sensemaking. Team sensemaking is an intermediary mechanism because it facilitates social environment factors to positively impact team creativity by building shared mental models, effectively seeking and contributing information, and mindfully updating the information of ongoing tasks. Data were collected from 87 organisations and a usable sample of 304 responses were collected from Pakistan’s information and communication technologies (ICT) sector. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the measurement and structural models using Amos 25. Findings suggest that cognitive diversity and team autonomy have a positive relationship with team sensemaking, and team sensemaking has a positive impact on team creativity. Further, autonomy and cognitive diversity are indirectly related to team creativity through team sensemaking. The results suggest that managers in knowledge-intensive industries should promote cognitive diversity and autonomy to develop team creativity. Furthermore, while it is important to grant teams autonomy and bring together teams with high cognitive diversity, it is equally important to facilitate team sensemaking. Cognitive diversity may have a greater positive impact on team creativity in the presence of meaningful team sensemaking. Similarly, team sensemaking acts as a catalyst by enabling intrinsic motivation mechanisms to leverage the benefits of team autonomy.