Visualization in management: From communication to collaboration. A response to Zhang

The benefits of visualization are starting to be exploited in the field of management. Beyond cognitive and communicative advantages, this view point article highlights how visualization can enhance collaborative activities in organizations. Recent trends in management indicate that the activity of visualizing can be as important as the pictures that are generated. Qualitative visualizations such as conceptual diagrams, metaphors or sketches are used as collaboration catalysts to facilitate a variety of tasks, from idea generation to decision making and planning. The article derives future research avenues in this promising and interdisciplinary field of inquiry, including the impact of immersive worlds, electronic sketches or multi-user interfaces for collaborative managerial tasks.

► Builds on the discussion initiated by Zhang. ► Examines the use of visualization in management. ► Extends his view emphasizing the use of interactive visualization for collaboration tasks. ► Moves the discussion beyond charts and diagrams and provides a synopsis of existing research. ► Highlights the importance of understanding the collaborative elements of graphic representations.