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ABSTRACT
This article presents results from 23 structured interviews focused on creative meetings (a crucial part of the definition being that something new is created in the meeting, through interaction between people). The interviewees represented many different fields of industry and academia, and together many hundred years of experience of meetings.
Six main perspectives pertaining to creative processes were discussed: dynamics and social interaction, leadership, actions and results, technical equipment, diversity and language, and size of meetings. The interviewees were asked to relate their personal experiences, and the study is therefore qualitative and retrospective.
Opinions were similar for some factors, including the central role of trust and optimal size of creative meetings (6-10 people). Views differed considerably for other factors; for example on the impact of diversity on the creative process, and whether creative meetings happen by chance or by planning and deliberation.
For many topics, both positive and negative aspects were mentioned; for example, the influence of diversity and language on creative processes.
Keywords: creativity, innovation, meetings, leadership, trust, social interaction
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to capture processes for an extensive and collected experience of creative meetings, spanning across a broad range of business fields and academic disciplines. The main aim was to understand how different factors relate to the level of creativity in meetings. Further, to determine for those factors which views and experiences were similar and which were different. Creativity was discussed as perceived by the participants, not the investigator. The interviews were mainly structured to capture retrospective and qualitative aspects of meetings. Hence, the study is to some extent explorative, and the findings may be starting points for future, confirmative studies of specific variables.
The scope of this article goes beyond that of the study itself, since recommendations on meetings are also included in the article.
INTRODUCTION
There is a clear focus on creativity and innovation in today's society, not least as crucial success factors, both for organizations and for societal progress (Boston Consulting Group 2006; Kao 2002; Ford & Gioia 1995). In companies and other types of organizations, people work together towards common goals, and meetings represent a point of contact and connection between individuals. In meetings, participants solve problems and create the new and improved,...