Tapping experiences of presence to connect people and organizational creativity

Abstract

The qualitative research presented in this dissertation focuses on individual experiences of presence (EPs) and their potential connections to organizational creativity. The overarching question is: How are EPs experienced at the individual level, and can Eps contribute to organizational creativity, particularly to an organization’s capacity for more authentic leadership? The aim of the dissertation is to investigate whether EPs could serve as a key factor in changing existing organizational thinking and behavioral patterns that may be growing obsolete in the current organizational climate.

The data included in the qualitative sub-studies making up the dissertation consists of personal depictions of EPs, interviews, and other material collected through workshops conducted in Finland as well as through international collaborative research. Much of the research is practice-based, with data produced and collected using methods grounded in contemplation and the applied arts. Findings based on phenomenological and reflective analysis of the data suggest that EPs had a positive impact on participants’ ability to be more aware of their connections to themselves, to each other, and to nature, skills that play an important role in organizational creativity.

Two main contributions result from the research. Firstly, it highlights the link between EPs and “inner” and “outer” nature-connectedness, in other words awareness of what is happening inside and outside one’s self. Secondly, it provides an opportunity to view Eps as a critical factor in organizational creativity. The conclusions and recommendations indicate that EPs should be taken seriously when seeking new perspectives on organizational creativity and authentic leadership.