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arXiv · 2503.06407

Contrasting to spark creativity in software development teams

Marian Petre·Mary Shaw
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Abstract

Three decades of empirical research in high-performing software development teams provides evidence that creativity can be promoted by an effective, disciplined development culture. This paper describes 'contrasting' as a key driver for creativity; describes creativity moves, tactics used by high-performing teams to produce useful contrasts; and characterizes key development behaviours observed to support a 'culture' of creativity. The empirical research was carried out in a broad range of software development organizations and application domains.

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Marian Petre, Mary Shaw. 2025-03-09. Contrasting to spark creativity in software development teams. https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.06407

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