[dragonwriter]

> Brainstorming establishes a shared understanding (depending on the group dynamics, you might call it a fiction) that the group, not any individual, came up with the idea.

IME, brainstorming sessions don't really serve that purpose except when they actually do result in real substantive collaboration. While people may have tribal identity as part of a team, they also tend to be aware of the group dynamics in the team and how decisions are actually made.

But, IME, lot of people in lead and management positions buy into the effectiveness of brainstorming sessions as tools of forging shared fictions in ways which are supported by the way people on the team look at the output.