Abstract:

This study examines which criteria within an interdisciplinary team promote creative knowledge development. In modern workplaces, interdisciplinary teams are often brought together to craft collaborative learning and innovative solutions. There is, however, a need for further exploration of how adults with different areas of expertise achieve collective learning and generate new ideas. Our research question was: what characterizes creative knowledge development in interdisciplinary teams working with municipal digitization? In this study we lean on sociocultural theories of knowledge, specifically Bakhtin’s notion of dialogue and the Vygotskyan Zone of Proximal Development. Our findings are based on analyses of semi-structured qualitative interviews (n=7) with employees working in an interdisciplinary team with digitization of municipal services in a Norwegian municipality. The team members were developers, engineers, a designer, and a business developer and had been working together for several years. We chose this particular team because its members were believed to offer rich descriptions of how they viewed creative knowledge development. The goal of the team was to develop a mobile app that communicates municipal information to its citizens clearly and accessibly. Interdisciplinary knowledge is vital in this work, as digitization of municipal citizen services are complex tasks requiring a vast array of expertise. We analyzed the interview data inductively which involves identifying patterns, themes, or insights from the data without preconceived theories or hypotheses. This inductive data analysis was combined with a hermeneutical approach. This gave us a deeper interpretation of the data by considering the contextual and interpretive meanings behind the emerging patterns and themes on how team members perceived creative knowledge development. This resulted in three main themes describing what actions that promoted the creative knowledge development. We identified three actions that became central to creative knowledge development in the team: to explain one’s reasoning, accept different viewpoints, and foster relational openness. Effective communication and diverse expertise were seen as crucial for creative knowledge development, while ambivalence between structured processes and creative freedom was both challenging and stimulating. Additionally, a psychologically safe environment was essential for encouraging open dialogue and innovative thinking. The individuals in the examined team represent distinct knowledge zones, each driven by their expertise. Creative understanding emerges when these zones intersect, and interdisciplinary perspectives come into play. This study highlights the critical role of social interaction and emotional support in fostering creativity within such teams, emphasizing that a safe environment, or safety zones, is essential for effective knowledge creation and collaborative development. The educational benefits of this study include enhancing students' ability to collaborate across disciplines, improving their communication skills, and fostering a deeper understanding of how to generate creative solutions. By emphasizing the importance of a psychologically safe environment and the acceptance of diverse perspectives, the study also prepares students to thrive in team settings, which is increasingly vital in both academic and professional contexts.

Keywords:

creative knowledge development, collaborative learning, interdisciplinary teams, interaction, sociocultural perspective