Creative problem solving style and cognitive work demands (original) (raw)
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Creative Problem-Solving Process Styles, Cognitive Work Demands, and Organizational Adaptability
The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 2014
In this theoretical article, organizational adaptability is modeled as a four-stage creative problem-solving process, with each stage involving a different kind of cognitive activity. Individuals have different preferences for each stage and thus are said to have different creative problem-solving process "styles." The Creative Problem Solving Profile (CPSP) assesses these styles and maps onto and interconnects directly with the four stages of this creative problem-solving process. Field research (n = 6,091) is presented in which the psychometric properties of the CPSP are established and the distribution of styles in different occupations and at different organizational levels are examined. A concrete blueprint is provided for organizational leaders to follow to (a) increase organizational adaptability, (b) simplify and facilitate change management, and (c) address important organizational effectiveness issues at the individual, team, and organizational levels. Real-world application examples are shared and future research opportunities to expand the CPSP's usefulness are suggested.
Thinking Creatively at Work: Organization Influences on Creative Problem Solving
The Journal of Creative Behavior, 1997
In this article, we consider how peoples' creative problem solving efforts are influenced by characteristics of the organizations in which they work. We begin examining the situations which call for creative problem solving a t work. We then consider the kinds of processes people must apply to solve these problems. Additionally, we describe certain organizational variables that might help or hinder effective application of these processes.' S o m e conclusions are drawn concerning how these variables act to influence creative problem solving a t work. The implications of these observations for future research are discussed. lNTRODUfllON
Owing to company time restrictions and concentration on project development, we began to reduce the duration of creative problem solving (CPS) sessions, and to give more emphasis to the action planning stage. Several changes in our CPS protocol, as well as in its duration, begged the question as to whether these changes were jeopardizing efficacy. To examine this question, six groups of ten university students, working under two different CPS protocols (a five-step method and a four-step method), and three control groups (using no CPS method), were given the same objective and similar conditions. This exploratory experiment compared group performance by change in team commitment, divergent thinking preferences, productivity and the participants’ evaluation of the different methods. Results show that the CPS methods were both effective in changing participants’ perspectives regarding divergent thinking and team commitment. In the control groups, however, there were no changes as a consequence of the sessions. Results also suggest that the same problem-solving effectiveness can be attained in a shorter time than that traditionally used, and without prior training in CPS. These findings open the door to developing new problem-solving techniques and team work processes, and to more efficient organizational creativity and innovation methodologies.
Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1982
The effects of training in a multistage "complete process of creative problem solving" on attitudes and behaviors of individuals were assessed both immediately after training and return to work. A controlled field "true" experiment was conducted within an engineering department doing applied research in a large industrial organization. Multiple methods and measures were employed on trained (n = 16), placebo (n = 16), and nonplacebo (n = 13) groups. The process trained addressed three critical stages: problem finding, problem solving, and solution implementation, each containing a fundamental diverging-converging two-step process called "ideation-evaluation." The main findings strongly suggest the training resulted in significant, systematically measurable effects both immediately after training and 2 weeks later at work. The trained participants were significantly higher in preference for ideation in problem solving, practice of ideation in both problem finding and problem solving, and performance in problem finding. The data give rise to speculation that there may exist differing "optimum ideation-evaluation ratios" for each of the problem finding, problem solving, and solution implementation stages. These ratios may also differ by field of endeavor. A survey of the literature shows that creativity research has taken three distinctly different directions. First has been the identification approach; that is, can we develop cognitive and personality tests capable of identifying relatively more-or-less creative people? Guilford's work (1967) is among the best known in the cognitive realm and MacKinnon's (1962) in the personality realm. Dunnette (1976), Gough (1976), Roe (1976), and Torrance (1972) provide comprehensive reviews of this identification movement. A second research direction has been the study of organizational factors; that is, can we determine what factors in an organization tend to inhibit or nurture creativity? Baker, Sweeney, Langmeyer, and Reprint requests should be sent to Min Basadur,
This paper reports an empirical study of person-vocation fit and person-organizational hierarchy level fit based on the construct, cognitive fit. Cognitive fit refers to the degree of match between an individual’s cognitive style of problem solving and the style demanded by the work context. Based on the analysis of 3,942 completed Creative Problem Solving Profile inventories over a broad cross section of organizations, the results support the argument that certain occupations, or vocations, do tend to favor specific cognitive problem solving styles. Additionally, the results offer evidence that the cognitive styles favored or demanded by organizations change as one’s career advances into higher levels of the organizational hierarchy. In particular the results showed that the ratio of Conceptualization cognitive style to Implementation cognitive style of organizational members increases at increasingly higher organizational hierarchical levels. These findings also lend support to re...
IJCPS-International Journal of Creativity and …, 2011
People, organizations, and societies benefit when there is an appropriate fit between individuals and their environments (e.g. Chatman, 1989; Kristof, 1996; Shalley, Zhou & Oldham, 2004). This is particularly true for producing organizational innovation. Little is known about the relationship between style preferences (as the people aspect) and climates for creativity. This study aims to tie these two constructs together by taking an interactionist approach. Two assessment approaches were taken. Best and worst-case climates were assessed by administering two short forms of the Situational Outlook Questionnaire in which 213 individuals identified specific best and worst-case work experiences and then responded to the nine dimensions of creative climate. Problem-solving style was measured by VIEW: An Assessment of Problem Solving Style. The findings of this research confirmed that significant differences between best (most desired/ most likely to fit) and worst (least desired/a most likely misfit) workplace climates exist. It also suggests that problem-solving styles make a difference for some of the dimensions of creative climate. A number of implications were presented for those who lead and manage for innovation.
Learning and Individual Differences, 2008
More than five decades of research and development have focused on making the Creative Problem Solving process and tools accessible across a wide range of ages and contexts. Recent evidence indicates that when individuals, in both school and corporate settings, understand their own style of problem solving, they are able to learn and apply process tools more effectively, and when teams appreciate the styles of their individual members, their problem solving efforts are enhanced. We summarize recent studies and report new data supporting the conclusion that individual style differences provide an important key to understanding the interaction of person, process, product, and press when managing change.
Creativity in the organization: the role of individual creative problem solving and computer support
International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 2001
Organizational support of employees' creative problem-solving (CPS) outputs is critical for maintaining a competitive advantage and for institutionalizing creativity. We believe that computerized creative support systems (CCSS) can be used e!ectively in this regard. We identify characteristics of CCSS and individual characteristics and suggest directions for empirical research to evaluate how these characteristics may a!ect an individual's CPS process and resulting creative outcomes. We also demonstrate the importance of individual creativity to organizational creativity and suggest directions for research to contribute to institutionalized creativity in the organization. We illustrate our arguments with sets of empirical research propositions based upon both process and outcomes. 2001 Academic Press