Exploratory Examination of Communication Skills and Group Characteristics Engendering Collective Creativity: Based on a Survey of Cybozu, Inc.

Abstract

In this paper, an exploratory analysis of employees in an information technology company（ Cybozu Inc.） is conducted by examining team communication skills and team characteristics that engender collective creativity, which is a factor in corporate competitiveness. First, group interviews of 8 employees were conducted to understand team communication skills and team characteristics by using categorical analysis. A questionnaire survey was then developed based on the keywords extracted from the interviews. Through quantitative analysis, which was conducted among 597 employees, with 186 respondents and a valid response rate of 31.2%, six concepts related to team communication skills and two related to team characteristics were identified. Existing creativity scales were then employed to determine the positive effects of the identified factors on collective creativity. The results of this analysis revealed an aspect of the group emergence mechanism that had not previously been examined.