Finally, researchers should give careful
thought to when a facilitating contextual factor
may also constrain creativity. For example, our
propositions involve tradeoffs between concepts
such that there is a certain level that is desirable
for creativity and beyond that point there is
a reduction in an individual's ability to be creative
(e.g., the tradeoffs between how many
weak ties are beneficial and what level of centrality
is optimal). Conceptually, it is difficult to
specify where the thresholds occur, because
they likely will vary by the contextual moderators
highlighted, among other things. However,
in future empirical work researchers can begin
to test, for example, under what conditions the
transition process between phase 1 and phase 2
of the spiral will occur and how this may vary by
cultural norms, tightness of the symbolic structure,
or an individual's diversity relative to the
network. The specific propositions further defining
these ideas can be tested directly, or they
can shape and influence other research avenues
related to creativity or social networks, respectively.
In conclusion, focusing on the social side