Phenomenology in a Co-creative Workplace

This book introduces phenomenology to reveal how the atmosphere and relationships in the workplace are generated and how this affects creativity. In their daily work, people sometimes feel that "today''s meeting was more exciting than expected" or that "everyone''s motivation is down”. This unspoken workplace atmosphere has a significant impact on their work. But has enough thought been given to how this workplace atmosphere is created?

Phenomenology reveals the basic structure of human relationships in the workplace. Are there any general rules that govern human interaction and the nature of relationships in that workplace? If these unspoken rules can be made explicit – clearly felt and spoken — people can work together to bring about a creative workplace in which individuals can maximize their abilities.

The main point of the book is that human relationships are based on a two-layered structure: "emotional communication", which is rooted in human sensitivity and centers on sensation and emotion; and "verbal communication", which is based on shared intelligence and relies upon language and thought. The invisible layer of emotional communication is always at work as the foundation of verbal communication, creating what can be described as the "workplace atmosphere”. This book offers a new perspective on promoting creativity in the workplace by unraveling the principles behind the structure of workplace atmospheres.