A Qualitative Study of Team Level Factors Affecting Innovation

Innovation is a necessity to embrace possibilities and face challenges and problems in our continuously changing world. Multidisciplinary capstones can be a place for students to be innovative. Students not only get a chance to work on a real project from industry, but they also work with students from different disciplines. This diversity of knowledge and perspectives can lead to team innovation. This paper explores team level factors affecting innovation in 4th year multidisciplinary capstone design at the University of Toronto. This paper is a qualitative study that explores the effect of diversity of knowledge, support for innovation from supervisor and client, team size, and team vision on innovation. Our research sheds some light on what behaviors in teams lead to innovation. Supporting and encouraging these behaviors from educational institutions provides an environment for students to be more innovative

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