OUGD505: Psychology of Collaborative Practice research paper

The purpose of the The Psychology of Collaboration Space, a paper by edited by Nigel Oseland (PhD CPsychol) but conducted by Herman Miller in 2012. The paper outlines literature reviews of the research into the psychology of collaboration spaces highlighting the impact of psychological factors on collaboration and the implications for workspace layout, design and furniture. Particular attention had been made to the effect of personality factors and the pro les of collaborative team members.

Workplace Unlimited was conducted to study psychology of collaboration in a close study, looking to investigate the implications of psychological factors on collaboration and the implications for workspace layout, design and furniture.  As well as consider the implications of psychology on collaboration and outline initial ideas on how collaborative spaces should be designed and equipped, mainly looking at interior/product design, less so graphic communication.  Never the less, the paper does outline many key points to keep in mind when discussing the issue of ineffective collaboration (in a practical sense). Much research has also been carried out on the psychology of interaction and communication. However, although relevant, interaction is not quite the same as collaboration and the implications of the research therefore differ, but the points are still to be considered. 

Defining collaboration

- We need to understand what is actually meant by 'collaboration'. Marinez-Moyano (2006) capture the common interpretation of collaboration which “is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals”. 

- Collaboration should engender the commitment and trust essential to knowledge working” (Davies, 2010).

- Schrage (1998) argues that collaboration is an “act of shared creation” which involves “two or more individuals with complementary skills interacting to create a shared understanding that none had previously possessed who could have come to on their own”. Based on his observations of large organisations, Schrage also proposed that most organisations actually do not have the conditions in place to support people working together to achieve a common goal and therefore diluted notions of “teamwork” often mask genuine attempts at collaboration.

- Therefore whilst collaboration is more complicated than interaction.. interaction helps build trust and is therefore a prerequisite for true collaboration.

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- The inclination to behave in a space based on its design and preconceptions may possibly help overcome any inhibitions due to primary personality traits and allow other dormant or submissive traits to break through. For example, although introverts may not have a natural leaning towards funky brainstorming areas, once in them they may be encourage to be more social and vocal.

- Interaction and collaboration spaces need to be accessible to all for almost every function

- Our personality impacts on our preferred means of interaction and the tasks that we prefer to carry out and the tasks we are particularly good at. Teams with a mixed group of personality types generally collaborate more effectively than those with team members of the same personality. 

 "An individual’s unique set of traits and relatively consistent pattern of thinking and behaviour that persists over time and across situations."

Myers Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI)

When considering how personalities impact how we interact with collaboration, a product, or an interface, many theories on personalities highlight how who we are ultimately effects our working life, spanning from networking to completing work.

Regardless of whether people are introverted or extroverted, they need to cope with the world and will have a preferred way of doing this. Jung suggested there are four basic ways of coping, termed functions, and when combined with one of his two attitudes they form eight different personality types. The sensing (S) and intuition (N) function relates to the way individuals perceive and acquire information. Sensing individuals carefully examine information and employ all of their senses in their investigations; whereas those who are intuitive rely more on their instincts and gut-feeling. 

Thinkers are objective, analytic and logical, and consider facts in reaching conclusions; in contrast, feeling individuals are subjective and consider how their decisions will impact others. 

Judgers (J) prefer an organised, stable environment and strive to regulate their lives, whereas, perceivers (P) are exible and spontaneous preferring to stay open to new opportunities.  The table created from MBTI identifies sixteen personality types, usually referred to by the dimension acronym, and common descriptors (stereotypes) for identifiability. 

As well as this, the paper highlights 'The Big Five factors' which impact personalities; these are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism, often referred to as OCEAN (or CANOE). 

• Openness (to experience) – reflects the range of interests and fascination with novelty; open people are creative, curious, and artistically sensitive whereas those not open are conventional and like the familiar;
  
  
• Conscientiousness – reflects a measure of reliability; a highly conscientious person is responsible, organised, dependable, and persistent whereas unconscientious or undirected people are easily distracted and unreliable;
  
  
• Extraversion – reflects the comfort level with relationships; extraverts tend to be gregarious, assertive, and sociable in nature, whereas introverts tend to be reserved, reflective, and quiet, preferring their own company;

• Agreeableness – reflects an individual’s tendency to
  defer to others; highly agreeable people are cooperative, affectionate, and trusting whereas others are disagreeable and antagonistic.
  
  
• Neuroticism (emotional stability) – reflects a person’s ability to bear up stress; people with positive emotional stability tend to be calm, self-con dent, and secure whereas the more neurotic are nervous, anxious and insecure. 

Other research has shown that extroverts excel at promoting face-to-face interactions. It is therefore expected that whilst most extroverts relish face-to-face interactions, introverts prefer to communicate through alternative means such as email, text, social network sites and other software applications, therefore both of these modes of communication (and personalities) need to be catered for when solving this problem.