Brokerage vs. Cohesion and Collaborative Creativity: An Evolutionary Resolution

How do collaborative networks influence an individual’s creativity? Some have argued that structural brokerage – having direct ties to collaborators who do not have direct ties with one another leads to greater creativity. Others have argued for the benefits of cohesive and redundant ties between an individual’s collaborators. To resolve the controversy, we argue that brokerage confers contingent benefits, based on the degree of trust and non-redundant information between collaborators, the professional experiences of the individual, and whether the outcome is initial creativity or its eventual impact upon future creative search. We demonstrate that the very same social structure that enables generative creativity also inhibits its diffusion and subsequent impact. Evidence from the structural career histories of over 50,000 collaborative inventors supports the arguments.