Contrasting to spark creativity in software development teams

2025-03-09

IEEE Software

AI Summary

Prior research has largely overlooked the role of cultural mechanisms in fostering creativity within high-performing software development teams. Method: Addressing this gap, we conduct a cross-organizational, cross-domain multiple-case study—employing in-depth interviews, on-site behavioral observation, and pattern abstraction—to empirically identify practices sustaining continuous innovation. Contribution/Results: We introduce “contrast” as a novel, culturally embedded driver of creativity and systematically develop an actionable “creative action” framework, specifying corresponding cultural behavioral signatures. The study yields a reusable set of evidence-based strategies for cultivating creativity through cultural shaping, collaborative design, and process optimization—thereby bridging a critical gap in software engineering research concerning the mechanistic underpinnings of creativity and the practical pathways for cultural enactment.

Technology Category

• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Computational Creativity
• Humans and AI: Teamwork, Team formation
• Application Domains: Software Engineering

Application Category

• Web Mining and Content Analysis: Bridging structured and unstructured data
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Sustainability of Web economics
• Semantics and Knowledge: Scalable techniques for the creation, curation, publication, maintenance, and consumption of large, Web-based, structured, reusable, knowledge graphs and ontologies

Abstract

Three decades of empirical research in high-performing software development teams provides evidence that creativity can be promoted by an effective, disciplined development culture. This paper describes 'contrasting' as a key driver for creativity; describes creativity moves, tactics used by high-performing teams to produce useful contrasts; and characterizes key development behaviours observed to support a 'culture' of creativity. The empirical research was carried out in a broad range of software development organizations and application domains.

Problem

• Promoting creativity in software development teams
• Identifying 'contrasting' as a key driver for creativity
• Describing tactics and behaviors supporting creative culture

Innovation

• Promotes creativity through disciplined development culture
• Uses 'contrasting' as key driver for creativity
• Identifies creativity moves in high-performing teams