Abstract:
The purpose of this chapter is to explore how the duality of connectivity (connecting and disconnecting) affects innovation in distributed project teams. We present empirical evidence from a large-scale international survey of distributed project teams, which suggests that while high social and technical connectivity and team connectivity norms are conducive to innovation, having a choice (agency) about when and how much to connect or disconnect matters in distributed teams. We conclude that while generative collaboration with others remains essential, there is a growing need to recognize the value of ‘disconnection’ for creativity and innovation.