Art-Based Therapies At Offices Can Enhance Workforce Agility, IIT Madras Study Suggests

New Delhi: A recent study from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) suggests that fostering an environment that channels the creative and expressive sides of employees can be a successful strategy for managing volatile business conditions. Large corporations such as Boston Consulting Group, Xerox Parc, Siemens, and IBM have already recognized the benefits of art-based therapies to achieve their management goals. The IIT Madras research advocates the application of expressive arts techniques in the workplace to benefit employees and refine overall corporate culture.

The study, conducted by Prof. V. Vijayalakshmi and her doctoral student Ms. Janani M. from the Department of Management Studies at IIT Madras, outlines several methods to support and maximize the agility of the workforce. Their findings are published in the Journal of Organizational Change Management.

Prof. V. Vijayalakshmi explained, “Arts have a significant history in many cultures and have the potential to shape thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. 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 behavior in the workplace.”

Market fluctuations and business volatility can have lasting effects on employee well-being and productivity. To sustain their potential and motivation in stressful work environments, companies should empower their employees during times of crisis. Generational changes, technological advancements, and a constant need to adapt require workforces to find new ways to maximize employee potential and fulfillment.

The researchers introduce the concept of ‘Workforce Agility,’ which helps employees approach organizational challenges constructively rather than with resistance. This approach enables businesses to respond more effectively to the opportunities and threats in a competitive environment.

Traditional efforts to increase workforce agility often overlook the individual employee. The IIT Madras study emphasizes the importance of preserving the creative needs of employees to maintain a positive work culture. The researchers propose an ‘Intermodal Arts-Based Intervention’ (IABI) as a business model to enhance individual workforce agility. This model includes various art modalities such as visual arts, music, movement, and theatre.

Engaging with these art forms can help employees express their thoughts and behaviors, enhance their learning capacity, and navigate complexities such as ethical dilemmas at work. A trained facilitator can guide employees from resistance to acceptance through arts-based modalities.

Ms. Janani M., the author and doctoral scholar at IIT Madras, noted, “This study can be advantageous for multiple stakeholders as it can help firms transition from a traditional training-based system to an experiential one. It may generate internal and external dialogues, new relationships, and thought patterns among employees, fostering a collaborative work culture.”

Modern life and rigid corporate structures often demand set goals and targets from employees, which can lead to boredom or a creative vacuum in the work environment. Over time, this can result in decreased productivity as employees seek to maximize leisure time over job performance.

The research highlights the crucial role of innate joy in enabling employees to perform better in their jobs. Prof. V. Vijayalakshmi added, “Engaging with the arts provides a safe psychological space for exploring alternate realities. This exploration can help employees engage in proactive behaviors such as anticipating future changes and problem-solving. Employees engaging with integrated art forms may undergo multiple felt experiences, such as exploring the self, people, space, and materials.”