WFH brainstorming prevents creative ideas, study says
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, people were introduced to the work from home (WFH) set-up. They had to replace in-person meetings with virtual convos to avoid catching the virus. While it has been incredibly convenient for most workers, a study discovered that talking through video calls hinders creativity.
Based on lab experiments and a field study at a company with offices worldwide, it showed how engaging face-to-face delivered ideas that were more creative than those discussed via video meetings. To further analyze it, U.S. researchers examined 1,500 employees from a telecommunications company in Finland, Hungary, India, Israel, and Portugal.
Participants, both in person or via Zoom call, were paired and asked to think of as many innovative ideas for the company’s products. According to the published study in the Nature journal, those who interacted in person came up with around 15% more.
In a separate experiment including 600 university students, the researchers also uncovered similar outcomes. The students were tasked to go in pairs and come up with creative concepts for either a frisbee or bubble wrap. The in-person pairs turned out to have more ideas by 14%.
To comprehend the difference, the researchers examined the participants’ gaze. The study stated that “videoconferencing hampers idea generation because it focuses communicators on a screen, which prompts a narrower cognitive focus”.
While using Zoom, Skype, or MS Teams is highly suitable during the pandemic, the study notes that reliance on technology comes at a price to creativity. But the results also showed how video calls are effective when selecting the best idea since a decision needs “cognitive focus and analytical reasoning”.
Speaking with MailOnline, co-author of the paper Melanie Brucks, explained that the “future of work is hybrid” and how companies should be strategic with the tasks they assign when working in-person vs. remotely. She added, ‘Our findings suggest that you should consider specifically prioritising idea generation during in-person time.’
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Source: we the pvblic
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