Task 1 - Out with the old, in with the new

Question 1

Creativity

Answer 1

• the process that refers to idea generation (generation of novel and useful ideas)
• involves primarily intraindividual cognitive processes

Question 2

Components of creativity

Answer 2

1. Thinking imaginatively
2. Expertise
3. Motivation

Question 3

Components of creativity:

Thinking imaginatively

Answer 3

Creative thinking is how people approach problems and solutions –
Their capacity to put existing ideas together

Question 4

to be creative an idea must be …

Answer 4

appropriate, useful and actionable –

it must f.e., influence the way business is done, by improving a product or by opening up a new way to approach process

Question 5

Components of creativity:

Expertise

Answer 5

Everything that a person knows and can do in the broad domain of his or her work

Question 6

Components of creativity:

Motivation

Answer 6

Determines what people will actually do

Question 7

Types of motivation (2 types)

Answer 7

1. Extrinsic

2. Intrinsic

Question 8

Extrinsic motivation

Answer 8

Motivation that comes from the outside of a person –> it makes the person work for something desirable or avoid something painful
(money does not help motivation but rather makes people feel controlled or being bribed)

Question 9

Intrinsic motivation (& Intrinsic Motivation Principle of Creativity)

Answer 9

A person’s internal desire to do something – passion and interest
Intrinsic Motivation Principle of Creativity - most efficient motivation is when people are driven by their interest, satisfaction, and the challenge of work itself

Question 10

Managing creativity (6 categories)

Answer 10

1. Freedom
2. Resources (a. time b. money)
3. Organisational support
4. Work-group features
5. Supervisory encouragement
6. Challenge
   ‘FROWSC’

Question 11

Managing creativity:

Challenge

Answer 11

Managers must match people with the right assignment – jobs that play to their expertise and their skills in creative thinking, and ignite intrinsic motivation

Question 12

Managing creativity:

Freedom (& how it is mismanaged)

Answer 12

• giving people autonomy concerning the means (processes of getting to goal is up to them, yet the goals themselves are set by supervisors) –> this heightens their intrinsic motivation and sense of ownership
• two ways mismanaged:
  1. change goals frequently or fail to define them clearly
  2. they grant autonomy but only in name

Question 13

Managing creativity:

Resources (2 main ones)

Answer 13

1. Time

2. Money

Question 14

Time as a resource

Answer 14

• Time pressure can heighten creativity – by increasing the sense of challenge it can increase intrinsic motivation
• Fake deadlines or impossible tight ones make people feel over controlled and unfulfilled – damages motivation

Question 15

Money as a resource

Answer 15

• adding more resources above a threshold does not boost creativity - yet below that threshold a restriction of resources can dampen creativity

Question 16

Managing creativity:

Work-group features (definition)

Answer 16

Should create mutually supportive groups with a diversity of perspectives and backgrounds – due to everybody’s own intellectual foundation and approach to work

Question 17

Work-group features (three features managers should consider)

Answer 17

1. Members must share excitement over the team’s goal
2. Members must display willingness to help their teammates through the difficult periods and setbacks
3. Members must recognize the unique knowledge and perspective that other members bring to the table (NO homogenous teams)
   - -> this enhances intrinsic motivation, expertise and creative thinking skills

Question 18

Managing creativity:

Supervisory encouragement

Answer 18

managers could make more of an effort to praise creative efforts (successful but also unsuccessful)

Question 19

Managing creativity:

Organizational support

Answer 19

Creativity is enhanced when the entire organisation supports it – the leader of the organisation should put appropriate systems or procedures in place and emphasise values that make it clear that creative efforts are top priority

Question 20

5 Key Domains

involved in product development - radical innovation

Answer 20

1. KPIs and decision making
2. Organization structure
3. Methods and tools
4. Processes
5. Teaming and collaboration
   ‘KOMPT’

Question 21

5 Key Domains:

Process

Answer 21

• allow changes in project specifications, recursions, iterations, and side paths by employing flexible, nonlinear processes
• leave room for individual ideas and experimentation instead of applying strict-management techniques

Question 22

5 Key Domains:

Methods and tools

Answer 22

• assess the likely degree of innovativeness upfront in order to choose the right approach
• identify required capabilities and experiences as early as possible
• gather commitments from stakeholders that add capabilities

Question 23

5 Key Domains:

KPIs and decision making

Answer 23

• control radical-innovation projects along specific KPIs such as budgets
• encourage risk taking
• enable clear and quick decision making

Question 24

5 Key Domains:

Organization structure

Answer 24

• clearly differentiate between radical- and incremental-R&D processes
• allow for internal and external collaborations through open organisation structures
• set radical innovation as a top-management priority

Question 25

5 Key Domains:

Teaming and collaboration

Answer 25

• promote openness and collaboration with internal and external partners
• ensure availability of required resources

Question 26

Innovation

Answer 26

• refers to the following stage of implementing ideas toward better procedures, practices and products
• mainly represent inter individual social processes in the workplace

Question 27

Pro Innovation Bias

Answer 27

Describes the presumption that innovation is a desirable characteristic and that positive outcomes will invariable arise from all forms of innovation

Question 28

Innovation Maximization Fallacy

Answer 28

“all creativity and innovation is good; and the more, the better”

Question 29

Pro innovation bias vs Innovation maximisation fallacy

Answer 29

…

Question 30

Types of innovation

Answer 30

1. Incremental - new design

2. Radical - completely new ideas (new technology & new market)

Question 31

Causes for a company’s radical-innovation projects to fail – Interaction

Answer 31

• little collaboration with colleagues beyond the product team
• little exchange with outsiders to learn about markets and technology
• no attention to acquiring advance commitments from stakeholders to reduce risk

Question 32

Componential theory

Answer 32

in short: the environment has an impact on creativity
The framework describes the way in which cognitive abilities, personality characteristics and social factors might contribute different stages of creativity

Question 33

Causes for a company’s radical-innovation projects to fail

Answer 33

• Values
• Processes and tools
• Interaction

Question 34

Causes for a company’s radical-innovation projects to fail – Values

Answer 34

• aiming to predict the unpredictable

- avoiding risk rather than controlling it

Question 35

Causes for a company’s radical-innovation projects to fail – Processes and tools

Answer 35

• rigidly following a gate-focused, sequential management process
• applying highly structured tools developed for incremental innovation
• emphasising KPIs for near-term gains and process efficiency over learning
• extrapolating (conclude/approach) existing data rather than thinking out of the box

Question 36

Innovation and creativity

Answer 36

• they are the process, outsources and products of attempts to develop and introduce new and improved ways of doing things
• they can occur at the level of the individual, work team, organisation, or at more than one of these levels combined

Question 37

Componential Theory of Organizational Creativity and Innovation

Answer 37

• Individual: expertise, creativity skills, task motivation (intrinsic), work group support
• Organization: Organizational and Supervisory encouragement, resources, challenging work, freedom, workload pressure, organisational impediments

Question 38

Interactionist Theory of Organisational Creativity

Answer 38

• Individual: Personality, cognitive abilities/style, intrinsic motivation, knowledge
• Group: Norms cohesiveness, size, diversity, roles, task, problem-solving strategies
• Organization: Culture, resources, rewards, strategy, structure, technology

Question 39

Theory of Individual Creative Action

Answer 39

Individual: Goals, communication networks, reward systems, resources, tolerance of ambiguity, self-confidence, creative self-image, emotions, expertise, creative abilities

Question 40

Model of Paternalistic Organizational Control and Innovation and Group Creativity

Answer 40

Team: Paternalistic organisational control, intrinsic motivation, national culture

Question 41

Theory of Team Climate for Innovation

Answer 41

Team: Vision, Task orientation, participative safety, support for innovation

Question 42

Ambidexterity theory

Answer 42

• Individual: Alternating between different mindsets and action sets based on domain-relevant expertise
• Team: Maintaining and benefiting from the diversity, while at the same time integrating this diversity toward common goals; Having ambidextrous leader
• Organization: Separating between exploration and exploitation at the top management level; Implementing organisational values and practices to manage conflicting demands