Idea Generation and Brainstorming Under the Aspect of the New Groupthink – The Differences Between Extraverts and Introverts

Abstract

Working in collaborative groups and teams now represents the practice predominantly adopted by organizations aspiring to create innovation. However, this trend towards boundless collaboration at work is harshly criticized for a resulting discrimination of introverted employees – called the New Groupthink. According to this, introverts suffer from working conditions that inhibit individual and quiet work. The current shift towards collaboration overall elicits lower creativity and achievement levels due to the resulting suppression of introverts. This inefficiency hence depicts a relevant issue for companies by reason of creativity and innovation’s decisive stake in todays’ turbulent environments. Therefore, this quantitative research investigates whether hybrid brainstorming can equate introverts with extraverts by balancing their idea contribution. It suggests solutions to both introverts, with regards to enhancing their stake in ideation, and companies, with regards to how to apply ideation methods in most efficient ways.