Organizational Organizational CreativityCreativity

Wendy M. Williams & Lana T. Yang

Cesar Ortega&

Matt Villaneuva

“If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play” - John Cleese

The GameplanThe Gameplan

Classic Views of Organization

How Organizational Creativity can be Increased

Formal Views of CreativityDivision of Labor

Modern Work Environment Systems Model

Componential Model

Selznick’s Approach Corporate Strategies

Training Creativity?

The Organizational Structure: The Organizational Structure: Affect on CreativityAffect on Creativity

•“Old School” Method of Production

• Supervisors for Accountability• Controlled Environments

Adam SmithAdam Smith

•1723-1790

At age 4, he was kidnapped by Gypsies

in Scotland.

• Pioneer of Political Economics

• Individual Self Interest = Good of Society

• Free Market is Guided by Invisible Hand

• An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations

Modern Work EnvironmentModern Work Environment

•Structural Obstacles to Innovation

•Lack of Open Communication

•Sprint Up Learning Curve

•Product Life Cycle < Worker Life Cycle

•Unity of Command ≠ Job Specialization

Modern Work EnvironmentModern Work Environment

•Personal Obstacles to Innovation

• Retraining Current Workforce • Hiring Employees that Think Differently

The “New” Employee

• Goal Displacement• Bureaucratic Personality

•Merton:

Theories of Creativity:Theories of Creativity:In the WorkplaceIn the Workplace

•Systems Views of Creativity

Csikszentmihalyi

• Creative Process is not in a vacuum

• Environments Have anEffect on Creativity

Theories of Creativity:Theories of Creativity:In the WorkplaceIn the Workplace

•Thinking Process Views of Creativity

Investment Theory

•Buy Low / Sell High

•Quick Turn-Around

Theories of Creativity:Theories of Creativity:In the WorkplaceIn the Workplace

Amabile’s Componential Model

Intrinsic TaskMotivation

Domain-Relevant Skills

Creativity RelevantSkillz

Corporate CultureAllocating Resources

Time, Freedom,Openness

•Organizational Views of Creativity

Intrinsic TaskMotivation

Domain-Relevant Skills

Creativity RelevantSkillz

Allocating ResourcesCorporate Culture

Time, Freedom, Openness

•Good Project Management

•Considerable Freedom

•Sufficient Resources

•Good Project Management•Good Project Management

•Encouragement

•Atmosphere of Cooperation

•Sufficient Resources•Sufficient Resources

•Ample Recognition

•Sufficient Time for Creative Thinking

•Atmosphere of Cooperation•Atmosphere of Cooperation

•Sense of Challenge

•Pressure to Accomplish Goals

Gaining Acceptance of Gaining Acceptance of InnovationInnovation

•“Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”

Trained Incapacity Idiosyncrasy Credit

Selznick’s Ideas:

Should Organizations Train Should Organizations Train Creativity?Creativity?

•Training leads to...Self-efficacy

EmpowermentMotivation

Corporate StrategiesCorporate Strategies

•“Self-Directed Work Teams”

•Team Spirit •“Z Organizations”

Company Investment is the Key

Google ZurichGoogle Zurich

PixarPixar

VW PlantVW Plant

Mindlab at the Ministry of Mindlab at the Ministry of Economic and Business AffairsEconomic and Business Affairs

Blockbuster Bankruptcy Blockbuster Bankruptcy

•Resistant to Change• Employees Not Motivated

• No Vertical Communication

What Happened?

Proactive EmployeeProactive Employee

•Hate Your Job? Here’s How to Reshape It

• www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1944101,00.html

Discussion QuestionsDiscussion Questions

2. Can work environments that are too free-spirited get to the level in which the workplace actually becomes a distraction, and therefore hinder creativity?

5. Should Businesses and Communication Arts programs be on the same page in terms of what is taught, the traditional or new creativity

accepting methods?

4. In your personal work/life experience what environmental factors are most important?

1. Many businesses have not embraced establishing a creative atmosphere in the workplace. For what reasons would one argue in defense of the hierarchy system?

3. Do you see the structural or personal obstacles to creativity as being easier to remedy in the workplace?

6. Outside the workplace, are there any situations in which idiosyncrasy credit plays a prominent role?

7. Is our culture so embedded with the idea of “upward mobility” and surpassing our parents’ level of success that Z Organizations would not work

in the US corporate setting?

8. Is it more cost-effective to retrain existing workers to have a creative mindset or hire new workers with the preexisting skill set?

10. Using what you have learned about creativity in the workplace what were some possible failures that lead to the collapse of Blockbuster?

9. Based on the information we've provided on organizational creativity that allows for creative-inducing work environments, do you think that

Unions have an affect - positive, negative, or both - on harnessing creativity in the workplace?

Discussion QuestionsDiscussion Questions