Pinning Down Creativity What is it? Why? Competencies Measurement Enhancing creativity

Creativity Defining creativity Ideas that are new and useful New combinations of ideas Willingness to move beyond status quo Innovation vs. creativity Creativity = the idea Innovation = putting into place Critical to select the best ideas (many more ideas generated than can be used) Innovation essential to establish and maintain competitive advantage New approaches Options for adaptation

Creativity Competencies Skill in analyzing issues or problems from different points of view to identify alternative courses of action Skill in generating ideas and solutions in response to business issues and problems Skill in making intuitive, inferential leaps in thinking that are logically grounded Willingness to develop solutions or consider proposals that challenge status quo assumptions or pro forma operations Willingness to face challenges or problems with an open mind and sense of curiosity. Source: J. S. Schippmann (1999). Strategic Job Modeling. Mahway, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Page 249.

Finding and Measuring Creativity General personality scales Openness to experience Risk propensity Initiative (to transform ideas into reality) Specialized creativity scales Actual = Potential x Work Setting

Enhancing Creativity Selection Culture Training Job design Management style and leadership Reward systems

Organizational Creativity Individual Characteristics  Cognitive abilities/style  Personality  Intrinsic motivation  Knowledge Group Characteristics  Norms  Cohesiveness  Size  Diversity  Roles  Task  Problem–solving approaches Organizational Characteristics  Culture  Resources  Rewards  Strategy  Structure  Technology Creative Behavior Creative Situation  Enhancers  Constraints