Abstract:
Orientation: Changes in business environments have resulted in a need for the development of
innovative teams. Improvisational theatre as a technique could contribute to the understanding of
how individuals can work together and be innovative.
Research purpose and motivation: This study evaluates the influence of a team development
intervention utilising improvisational theatre exercises on innovative work group climate.
Research design, approach and method: A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group
design was employed with an experimental group and a control group from a healthcare managerial
division.
Main findings: Repeated-measures ANOVA results indicated that for innovative work group
climate as a whole, as well as for three of its factors, namely participative safety, vision, and
task orientation, the experimental group’s scores improved significantly (p < 0.05). Support for
innovation did not show significant differences.
Practical/Managerial implications: This research has shown that improvisational theatre is a team
development tool that can be used to assist work teams in creating a climate for innovation.
Contribution/value-add: This study extends the body of knowledge in the field of team building
and highlights the contribution that improvisational theatre can make toward the development of
work teams
