Exploring Group Creativity in Face‐To‐Face Versus Virtual Settings

ABSTRACT Recent research has shown that virtual settings can negatively impact interactions within groups. However, few empirical studies have looked at group creative processes in virtual teams, with most research to date focusing on individuals. To address this gap, an experimental study was carried out to compare the creative performance of groups in face‐to‐face versus virtual environments. 54 groups, each comprised of four individuals, completed two creativity tests interposed with an activity that was designed to familiarize members of the group with each other. The groups were split equally between face‐to‐face and virtual video‐based settings. It was seen in all groups that creative fluency decreased, whilst the originality of ideas generated/selected increased after groups completed a familiarization task. It was further found that the creative fluency of groups was significantly lower in virtual compared to face‐to‐face environments. By negatively impacting the fluency of the creative process in groups, it is therefore argued that virtual interactions have negative consequences for the number of ideas generated within groups.