Enhancing creative thinking within organisations (original) (raw)
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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.
Managing the creative process in organizations
1991
This chapter discusses how creative behavior can be increased and managed in organizations. Variables associated with nurturing creative activity are identified. The chapter first presents a theoretical model of organizational creativity, and then discusses empirical research on the model as it is applied. Finally, the chapter discusses future applications and tests of the model. THE BASIC MODEL Organizational creative behavior can be defined as a three-stage process of problem-finding, problem-solving, and solution implementation activity. This process is identified as a complete process of creative problem solving. What is meant by a complete process of creative problem solving is that it is based on two central, fundamental concepts. First, it has distinct stages. It separates problem finding from problem solving and solution implementation. The second important feature of the process is that within each of the three critical stages, there is a common, fundamental, miniprocess. This is a sequential two-step thinking process called ideation-evaluation. Ideation is defined as idea generation without evaluation (putting aside the judgment capability). This is the diverging aspect of the two-step process. Evaluation is the reverse. It is defined as the application
Creative problem solving method in organizational innovation
The Shift to the Entrepreneurial Society: A Built Economy in Education, Sustainability and Regulation, 2012
This research focuses on the development of entrepreneurship projects, using the creative problem solving (CPS) methodology and aims at demonstrating its effectiveness in improving team commitment to entrepreneurship projects. The design follows an adaptation of the 8-step process of Basadur's problem solving approach (Basadur, 1997), into a 5-step procedure, consisting of fact finding, problem definition, solution finding and action planning. These steps are carried out in two four-hour sessions, using specific techniques that link creative people and management in order to develop a plan of action, thus initiating a system of transformation of the individual and team creativity into organizational innovation. Forty M.A. students, organized in four groups (two in art education and two in tourist entrepreneurship) were submitted to a pre-post test regarding team commitment, prior and after two 4-hour problem solving sessions, following one objective provided by the course director. At the end of the sessions they were also required to fill in a form where they were asked to express their evaluation of the method. Each project designed is now under 2 implementation, and each group is registering all the necessary data to allow for the following up of the project. Results indicated an improvement in individual attitude towards emotional team commitment, during CPS sessions, as well as positive evaluations of the method. The possibilities of making a joint project, using the CPS method, were also demonstrated. Further research is expected once the projects are carried away and more teams involve in the construction of original entrepreneurship projects.
Techniques to enhance creative thinking
Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 2000
In order to develop more innovative products, process and services, organisations must encourage their employees to think more creatively. One method of achieving this is to encourage teams to utilise creative problem‐solving (CPS) techniques. There is a variety of different CPS techniques. Perhaps the most common technique utilised is that of brainstorming. This, however, does not necessarily produce novel and innovative solutions. The purpose of this article is to explore creative problem solving and to present a model that can help facilitators and team members choose an appropriate technique for their situation. The model has divided creative problem solving into three categories, namely paradigm preserving techniques, paradigm stretching techniques and paradigm breaking techniques. The article discusses these three categories and presents some examples of their use.
Methods to Improve Creativity and Innovation
This chapter focuses on the development of organizational creativity, using the CPS methodology, aiming at demonstrating its effectiveness in using the individual and team divergent thinking improvement in identifying organizational problems. A study was undertaken using problem solving teams in seven companies, in which each individual was submitted to a pre-post test in attitudes towards divergent thinking and asked to express the evaluation of the method. All the information reported in the sessions was recorded. The results indicate a change in attitude favourable to divergent thinking, the provision of a professional, efficient method of organizing knowledge in such a way that can help individuals to find original solutions to problems, and an important way to lead teams to creativity and innovation, according to companies' different orientations.
Leading others to think innovatively together: Creative leadership
The Leadership Quarterly, 2004
Individuals, teams, and organizations differ in their creative problem solving styles. How leaders manage these styles can have a significant effect on performance. The most effective leaders of the 21st century will help individuals and teams to coordinate and integrate their differing styles to drive change through a process of applied creativity that includes continuously discovering and defining new problems, solving those problems, and implementing the new solutions. Leaders must appreciate individuals' differing preferences for various stages of this process. Leaders can use various tools-notably the Creative Problem Solving Process (CPSP) inventory-to encourage and enable people to think together in innovative ways. D 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Corporate creativity: introducing the Creative Idea Solution© framework
International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 2013
In this paper, the Creative Idea Solution © framework (CIS) is presented as a response to the call made by Kozbelt et al. (2010), Lubart (2001) and Rietzschel et al. (2009). The CIS framework integrates theory and methods from creativity research into an open and continued innovation process, and the authors argue that this interdisciplinary approach diminishes the gap between the two literatures. To indicate the value of the proposed framework in practise, a nine month action research case study was conducted in an international technological manufacturing company. The results and the learning outcomes from this action research are presented and the indications which emerged are compared to the existing literature.
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,
Creativity and problem solving in the development of organizational innovation
Spatial and Organizational …, 2009
This research focuses on creativity and innovation management in organizations. We present a model of intervention that aims at establishing a culture of organizational innovation through the internal development of individual and team creativity focusing on problem solving. ...