MANAGING HYBRID INNOVATION

HYBRID WORK ARRANGEMENTS OFFER flexibility, cost savings, and a more diverse workforce, but studies reveal that virtual collaboration creates distinct challenges for innovation.

- - Kaushik Viswanath

However, research shows that managers can be intentional about struc- turing in-person and virtual collaboration for creative breakthroughs:

1. Video communication narrows creative thinking. A study in which over 1,400 participants were examined across laboratory and field experiments found that videoconferencing significantly reduced the number of creative ideas generated compared with in-person collaboration. The researchers identified a cognitive effect as the cause: Virtual communicators focus their visual attention on screens, which constrains their peripheral awareness and cognitive scope, leading to fewer creative ideas.