OBTC 2017 Proceedings »
To Affinity and Beyond: Using Affinity Diagramming as Management Educators
affinity diagramming, group decision-making, changes in workplace
A hardy tool for pulling together ideas from a group is the affinity diagram. An affinity diagram is a tool that organizes individual ideas or concepts into categories of related concepts. Affinity diagrams can be used to provide structure to brainstorming process, simplify components of complex problems, and catalyze discussion from a large group of people. In this interactive session, we will demonstrate multiple ways that we use affinity diagrams in the management classroom, and we will provide a framework for using the classroom tool as a means of developing student leadership skills.