Unlocking the Collective Paradoxical Frame in Creativity: The Role of Inter‐Group Competition

ABSTRACT The present study examined how collective paradoxical frame training and intergroup competition influence virtual team creativity. A sample of 159 students collaborated in small groups of 3–4 to complete a creative task. Groups were trained on developing a collective paradoxical frame using images and examples from multicultural (highly conflicting ideas) or single–culture (moderately conflicting ideas) contexts. A control group condition received no exposure or training. Both the multicultural and single culture conditions were further primed with instructions either to compete or not to compete with other groups. The multicultural exposure groups generated more ideas and more original ideas than the single culture exposure or the control condition. Also, groups in the competition condition produced more elaborations than the non‐competition group. Mediation analyses indicated that competition predicted higher fluency and originality indirectly through the mechanism of elaboration. Finally, competition interacted with paradoxical frame training such that the novelty of ideas was highest when groups received multicultural paradoxical framing and were primed to compete, suggesting that competition can unlock the creative potential of a collective paradoxical frame. These findings have implications for designing training programs in the management of virtual teams and educational settings, encouraging the integration of paradoxical framing to promote creative outcomes. Findings further show that intergroup competition can be constructive when it channels effort into deeper elaboration of ideas.