Creativity Theory - TRaining MAterial in Creativity and InnovaTion ...

4. Creativity in an Organization
Exposure to different and even contrasting
stimuli is not only valuable but essential
in an organization. When new stimuli are
acquired, the endowed person increases
the possibility of creative synthesis never
before conceived. One of the reasons
why ancient Greece acquired her cultural
prominence was her openness to different
cultures and receptivity to new elements.
Similarly, an organization wherein people
with different profiles, cultural backgrounds
and skills interact is more likely
to pave the way for creative and innovative
processes and products.
An organization needs also to provide sufficient
room for manoeuvre, freedom and
autonomy for the employees to express
their creative potential.
Closely connected to freedom is tolerance.
That is, tolerance for and interest in diverging
views, not only coming from different
cultures but all kind of divergences. A
creative product often disturbs people
because of its unfamiliarity. People feel
more comfortable with what they know.
The familiar ways do not demand altering
old habits and the acquisition of new ones
and do not bring about surprises that may
be unpleasant. Tolerance must be followed
by an attitude of benevolent and inquisitive
interest in whatever is new. Something
newly created has a greater probability of
being properly recognized if people are inclined
to believe that they will obtain more
from innovation than from perpetuation of
the old.
Tolerance must exist at all levels. Organizations
must be inclined to give careful
consideration to different ideas, beliefs,
customs and to whatever appears original
and divergent. Interaction must be encouraged,
not only among creative individuals
but also amongst groups of individuals
(see also creativity in groups).
This can be realized through guaranteeing
access to and exchange of information.
Information can stimulate thinking, which
leads to idea generation. Indeed, many
creative ideas are formed at the intersection
of different lines of thought or technology.
In hierarchical firms, information is
often hoarded as a source of organizational
power. Information flows are controlled
and channeled through the chain of com-
mand. People must demonstrate “a need to
know” and a need to have access to certain
information. This control impedes the
catalytic function of communication and
limits opportunities for different pieces of
information to intersect and combine in
people’s minds. Managers can encourage
the free flow of information in many ways:
e-mail, the physical co-location of team
members, joint work sessions, and regular
informal lunches.
Employees also need access to sources of
knowledge, both inside and outside the
organization. That knowledge is often the
raw material of creative thought. Some
companies have developed elaborate
knowledge management systems to capture
knowledge, store it, and make it easily
available for reuse. These systems help
ensure that what is learned by someone in
unit A does not have to be learned anew by
someone in unit B.
Another way to help employees tap into
sources of internal knowledge is through
the creation of communities of interest. A
community of interest is an informal group
whose members share an interest in some
technology or application. Whatever the
interest may be, newsletters and periodic
meetings held by these communities provide
opportunities to share knowledge
and spark the imagination.
External knowledge is equally important
as a stimulant to innovation and creativity.
External knowledge invigorates and adds
vitality to organizations. Employees access
that knowledge when they have opportunities
to attend professional and scientific
meetings and to visit customers and
benchmarking partners and when outside
experts are brought in to share their knowhow
via lectures and workshops.
The material aspect cannot be neglected.
Access to equipment and material must be
guaranteed without discrimination [29].
Physical surroundings can also have an impact
on creativity. Even though space costs
are usually second only to people costs,
many executives are just realising the
importance of the physical environment.
Like the organizational environment, the
physical environment can be engineered
in ways that encourage higher creative
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THEORETICAL PART