Team ideation: a detailed investigation into ideation effectiveness
Open Access
- Author:
- Teerlink, Wesley Steven
- Graduate Program:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- June 09, 2015
- Committee Members:
- Kathryn Weed Jablokow, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Matthew B Parkinson, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor - Keywords:
- ideation
ideation effectiveness
teams
teaming
cognitive style
perceptions of ideation - Abstract:
- Ideation is a key part of the design process that is often carried out in teams. Cognitive style, the preferred way in which individuals tend to solve problems, plays an important role in team dynamics and perceptions. Differing cognitive styles on a single team allow for increased team potential, but working together can become more difficult. It has been shown previously that working in teams can lead to fewer ideas overall. Previous research leaves many questions as to what the benefits of teaming are and if they are worth the costs. This work makes a detailed analysis of the ideation performance of individuals and teams. The participants’ cognitive styles and perceptions of the experience are also considered. The subjects are 86 university engineering students that participated in two, 20-minute ideation sessions: one individually and the other as two- or three-person teams. All ideas were evaluated for quantity, quality, variety, and novelty. It was observed that individuals on teams recorded fewer ideas than when working alone. Yet, in general participants indicated that ideation was easier as a team and that they felt more creative. Several known causes of process loss were observed and possible alternate causes are proposed, including conglomeration and evaluation of ideas.