Research: How the Show Goes On: Using Aesthetic Experience of Collective Performance to Adapt while Coordinating

Headshot of John Paul Stephens

So far, 2020 has been all about adapting, particularly those who are leading groups of employees, students and more. As the world transitioned to remote work, online instruction and other "new normal" activities, remaining flexible during these fluctuating periods has been essential to resolving challenges.

New research by John Paul Stephens, associate professor of organizational behavior, looks at how aesthetic experience, or the perception of bodily senses, allows groups to continuously adapt in response to fluctuating conditions.

During his 18-month research project, Professor Stephens observed members of a community choir to explore how they continuously adapted when they felt their performance was falling apart. He found that members of a group can adapt their behaviors by distributing their attention in new ways.

Professor Stephens has also recently developed a reflection on how the insights from this research might be relevant for these trying times. See his blog post on the LSE Business Review site. 

Read the full research in Administrative Science Quarterly.