IIT-M study proposes artistic therapies to improve employees’ performance

CHENNAI: Fostering an environment that channels the creative and expressive sides of the employees could be a successful approach to running a volatile business, an IIT-Madras study found.

Professor V Vijayalakshmi and her doctoral student M Janani from the Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras, point out several methods to support and maximise the workforce agility of employees in their study.

Elaborating on the key findings, V Vijayalakshmi of IIT-M said, “Arts have a significant history in many cultures and have the potential to shape thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. “Compared to traditional training methods, experiential and artistic methods induce a positive mood, encourage creativity and innovation, and offer metaphorical and improvisational advantages to expand one’s thought and behaviour in the workplace.”

The researchers from IIT-M discussed a concept known as ‘Workforce Agility’, which helps employees deal with organisational challenges with a more constructive approach, rather than being resistant to them.

“This can help businesses react to the opportunities and dangers that come with operating in a competitive business environment. To improve workforce agility, individuals’ characteristics have received very little attention up until now. However, preserving work culture is dependent on preserving creative needs of employees,” the researchers said.

“This study can be advantageous for multiple stakeholders as it can help firms move from a traditional training-based system to an experiential mode. It may generate internal and external dialogues, new relationships, and thought patterns among employees, which can be leveraged toward a cordial, considerate, and collaborative work culture,” Janani said. Many corporates such as Boston Consulting Group, Xerox Parc, Siemens, and IBM have already implemented strength of art-based therapies to achieve management goals.