Collective creativity through a learning lens: Paradoxes of convergence and divergence in an art and theater project

Collective creativity in organizations is generally considered to involve the convergence of divergent perspectives into a synthesis. While research has identified interactions that enable convergence, divergent perspectives are often taken for granted, and we know less about how they are fostered. To provide a more holistic understanding, this study examines the dynamic interplay between divergent and convergent interactions through a learning lens. It integrates insights from paradox research and collective learning theory with ethnographic research on a large art and theater project. In this project, characters, scenes, set designs, and organizational practices evolved through two interdependent cycles of collective learning. Through consensus learning, individuals incorporated each other’s ideas, resulting in interwoven collective expressions that reinforced the norm of collaboration and thereby promoted convergence. Through conflict learning, individuals asserted their own ideas, resulting in more fragmented collective expressions that reinforced the norm of autonomy and thereby promoted divergence. This paradoxical and organic learning process encompassed cognitive, material, and affective dimensions. The findings suggest that accepting fragmentation is essential for fostering divergent perspectives, while a culture of dialogue plays a critical role in synthesizing these perspectives.