Lecture 5

Question 1

Why is creativity important? (3)

Answer 1

• Vital for organisational survival
• Constant updating of ideas, products, processes required to adjust to rapid market changes
• To ensure a company’s enduring advantage in the market

Question 2

Defintion: Imagination

Answer 2

A mental imagery of things that may not exist.

It is neutral and applies to adaptive and maladaptive activities.

Question 3

Examples of imagination (6)

Answer 3

• Daydreaming
• Fantasizing
• Pretending
• Aspects of dreaming
• Alternative pasts
• Counterfactual conjecture (=vermoedens)

Question 4

Defintion: Creativity

Answer 4

The use of the imagination or original ideas in order to create something.

Question 5

Definition: Creative originality/newness

Answer 5

Ideas and products are creative only if they are unique relative to other ideas currently available

Question 6

Definition: Creative cognition

Answer 6

An approach to creativity that focusses on the underlying mental processes. The ‘creative thinking’ process. How people think and what blocks or biases certain thoughts.

Question 7

Three creative cognition assessments (3)

Answer 7

• Torrance tests (unusual uses test or ‘brick’ test)
• Remote associated tests
• Duncker’s candle problem

Question 8

Explain the torrance tests and how it is scored

Answer 8

Task is to generate as many unusual uses for a brick. Creativeness is scored on fluency (# of meaningful answers), flexibility(# of different response categories) and originality (# of otherwise scarce answers)

Question 9

Explain the remote associated test and how it is scored

Answer 9

The task is to make associations or mental connections between seemingly unrelated words. For example the words map, book, world should become an atlas.
Scored on the amount of correct associations.

Question 10

Explain duncker’s candle test and how it is scored

Answer 10

Task is how to fix and light a candle on a wall such that the wax won’t drip on the table underneath using only a book of matches and a box of thumbtacks.

Question 11

Define ‘Insight’

Answer 11

An AHA! experience during problem solving as a result of changes in representation.

Question 12

How are the likelihood of insights reduced? (5)

Answer 12

By;

• Person mental constraints (low imagination)
• Focus on details
• Direct distraction/interference
• Time pressure
• Stress

Question 13

Define social & organisational creativity

Answer 13

Social and organisational creativity emphasise on the role of the situation or context on a person’s creativity.
It is about the person themselves PLUS a (un)favourable social environment to produce creativity

Question 14

What was creativity first defined as in 1950?

Answer 14

It was first defined as a way of divergent thinking. Referred to as the ‘standard definition of creativity.

Question 15

Describe the two-criterion of creativity established in 1950

Answer 15

An idea was creative to the extent that it was original (novel) and effective (useful) for the task at hand.

Question 16

Describe the three-criterion of creativity that is more recent

Answer 16

Creativity is shown if an idea or invention is new, useful .and non-obvious (surprising, shocking)

Question 17

Which three component are part of the three component model of organisation creativity

Answer 17

• Domain relevant skills
• Creativity relevant skills
• Intrinsic (task) motivation (because you want to do it, passionate about it) (extrinsic would be doing it because of financial reward)

Question 18

What are domain relevant skills?

Answer 18

The basic skills and abilities needed to perform a certain task

Question 19

What are creativity relevant skills? (4)

Answer 19

Specific abilities to come up with novelty like;

• Divergent thinking (fresh look at things)
• Openness (no premature judgements)
• Productive forgetting (block unproductive ideas)
• Creativity heuristics(= the art of problem solving) (easy ways to create ideas)

Question 20

Name the components in the four C-model of creativity

Answer 20

• Big C
• Little C
• Mini C
• Pro C

Question 21

Describe ‘big C’ in the four C-model of creativity

Answer 21

Clear works of creative geniuses (famous creators)

Question 22

Describe ‘little C’ in the four C-model of creativity

Answer 22

Everyday creativity of the average (nonexpert) person

Question 23

Describe ‘mini C’ in the four C-model of creativity

Answer 23

New and personally meaningful interpretations of experiences, actions and events

Question 24

Describe ‘pro C’ in the four C-model of creativity

Answer 24

The professional-level of expertise in any creative area

Question 25

How to manage (pro) creativity at work? (5)

Answer 25

• Encourage out of the box thinking
• Take time to think of a promising idea
• Keep level of intrinsic motivation in the team high to ensure autonomy
• Train divergent thinking skills using morphology
• Allow cross-fertilisation of ideas

Question 26

Name the two dark forms of creativity and describe them

Answer 26

• Negative creativity (Harmful creativity without malevolent intentions)
• Malevolent creativity (creativity to purposely harm others, gaining an unfair advantage through manipulation, threat or harm)

Question 27

What is the similarity between creativity and unethical actions?

Answer 27

They both involve rule-breaking. Therefore, unethical actions (such as dishonesty) can often lead to greater creativity!

Question 28

Four categories of dark creativity

Answer 28

• Breaking rules
• Challenging authority and traditions
• Creating conflict, competition and stress
• Taking risks

Question 29

If creativity is so important, how do then do we innovate?

Answer 29

When innovation meets institution, change and stability collide. Hence creativity consequences are best to be downplayed as if they are familiar, interesting ideas. (Remember the best sold electric car example is the one that looks like a regular petrol car).