Week 10 Flashcards
why is employee creativity important?
- important in enhancing organizational productivity and efficiency, and helping organizations survive and thrive in the
face of a consistently changing business environment (Boyles, 2022) - Creative employees develop novel approaches to business problems, come up with new product ideas, and identify new avenues to help an organization thrive (Oldham & Cummings, 1996)
what is creativity?
- Creativity is typically defined as the generation or production of ideas that are both novel and useful (Amabile,1988)
- To be considered creative, ideas must be both new and seen as having the potential to create value for organizations in the short or long run. (Amabile,1988)
what is novelty and usefulness?
- Novelty sets creative ideas apart from tried-and-tested solutions or more routine problem-solving (George, 2007).
- Novelty is viewed as the critical factor that distinguishes creative from non-creative ideas (Campbell, 1960)
are outlandish, wild ideas creative?
they can be creative, but they aren’t necessarily so, they must also be seen as being useful in an firm or having potential to create the value considered to be creative
why is decision making hazardous?
- Decision making is hazardous because the outcome isn’t known beforehand.
- Categories frequently used to define conditions under which decisions are made are certainty, risk, and uncertainty
- The use of creativity techniques may reduce the uncertainty of any specific decision by creating solutions
describe conditions of uncertainty, certainty and risk?
- Under a condition of uncertainty, one has no experience or knowledge about the problem or the outcome
- Under a condition of certainty, perfect knowledge of the problem and the outcome is required — a most infrequent condition.
- Therefore, most decisions occur within the area of risk — and the amount of risk is determined by the quantity and quality of the information about the outcomes of various alternatives
what does Shackle (1979) say about imagination?
Shackle (1979) argues that we cope with ignorance of the future by using our
creative imaginations to envisage future scenarios. Then we decide which actions might bring them about.
what four parts do Newman, Summer and Warren (1967) divide the decision process into?
- Making a diagnosis and defining the problem,
- Arriving at alternative solutions,
- Analysing and comparing alternative courses of action,
- Selection of a solution.
- Creativity techniques can be utilized during the decision process to increase the number and quality of alternative solutions and to provide assistance in analysing and comparing alternatives.
- Creativity techniques have the potential to increase the quantity and the quality
of decision information during steps (b) and (c) of the decision process — seeking
alternative solutions and analysing alternatives — and as a result improve the
quality of the decision
what can creative techniques do?
Creativity techniques can be used to improve the search for solutions and to
choose the alternative or select the course of action. However, the final selection
of the appropriate alternative and the determination of acceptable risk remains
the domain of discriminating management judgment
what is Bounded Awareness (Bazerman & Chugh, 2005)?
Bounded awareness – prevents us from noticing or focusing on useful, observable
and relevant data, whereas bounded rationality means our thinking is limited and biased in predictable ways
- Bounded awareness often leads people to ignore accessible, perceivable, and
important information, while paying attention to other equally accessible but
irrelevant information (Bazerman & Chugh,
2005).
what do (Shalley, Zhou and Oldham, 2004) say about who is creative?
- The personality dimension that has been most consistently related to creativity is openness to
experience. Individuals high on the openness dimension are those who are broad minded,
curious, and untraditional. By contrast, those low on openness tend to be conventional, unartistic, and unanalytical. - Supportive leadership styles enhance employee creativity; controlling styles stifle creativity.
what does Edward De Bono say?
discusses a range of ideas with the intent of being able to develop thinking skills
- he distinguishes between: vertical thinking, lateral thinking and parallel thinking
what is vertical thinking?
- This is a sequential process that involves solving problems by working through each step logically and methodically. It’s akin to “digging the same hole deeper” and is based on analysis and deduction.
- Vertical thinking is about looking for the ‘right’ answer to a problem.
what is lateral thinking?
- This is about changing concepts and perception.
Lateral thinking is non-linear and involves looking at things from multiple perspectives, using creativity and intuition. - It’s about breaking away from traditional patterns of thought and coming up with innovative solutions - ”Thinking outside the box
what is De Bono’s (1996) Provocation?
Edward de Bono’s concept of provocation is a key element in his lateral thinking methodology. It involves deliberately introducing an unusual or seemingly irrational statement or idea (the “provocative operation”) to disrupt conventional patterns of thought and open the way for creative solutions. - The aim is not to find a direct
solution from the provocation itself, but to use it as a tool to inspire new ideas and perspectives
what are the first two stages of De Bono (1996) Provocation?
- The Provocative Statement: This could be an absurd or impossible statement, or
a deliberate exaggeration. - Suspension of Judgment: Rather than immediately dismissing the provocative
statement as nonsense, participants in the process are encouraged to temporarily suspend judgment and criticism
