Discussion 1: Organizational Support for Creativity
MUST USE HEADINGS
Week 6 Discussion Forum 1 Templates
Template Initial Post
Description of the Organization
Description of factors that Contribute to Creative Climate
Description of the Creativity Assessment
Identify Dimensions of Creativity in the Organization
APA References
Discussion 1: Organizational Support for Creativity
Google is famous for offering all of its engineers “20%” time; that is, each engineer can take 20%% of their working hours, equivalent to one day a week, to work on any project of their choice. This can involve fixing errors or bugs that they have independently noticed, developing new features for existing projects, or creating entirely new services. Googleâ€
s engineers have initiated some of Googleâ€
s most popular and innovative offerings during their “20%” time.
Googleâ€
s support for fostering a creative climate is extensive, to the point of allowing employees to self-determine a significant part of their workload. Have you ever worked at an organization that supported your creativity in unique and specific ways? In this weekâ€
s Discussion, you will assess your organizationâ€
s support for organizational creativity.
For this weekâ€
s Discussion, you will need to take the organizational-creativity assessment in this weekâ€
s interactive media piece titled: Dimensions of a creative working climate. Use this creativity assessment to assess an organization for which you have worked or with which you are familiar.
With these thoughts in mind:
By Day 3
Post results from taking the organizational creativity assessment, including:
- A description of the organization you selected for the organizational creativity assessment (i.e., is the organization small or large and what was your level/position within the organization or from what level/position are you making the assessment, etc.).
- Describe the leadership, environment, and process factors specific to both individuals as well as teams that contribute to a creative climate. Make sure to compare and contrast how well these factors affect individual team creativity climate vs. team creativity climate. Consider leadership and influence at multiple levels of the organization.
- Next, describe the results of the creativity assessment you took. Explain how your organization fared according to the assessment. Summarize in your own words the salient points referring to existing creative practices that were assessed.
- Identify the dimensions of creativity at the organization that you ranked the highest and the lowest. Evaluate how the rank of these dimensions explains the organizational climate for creativity. Include whether the summary and suggestions provided by the assessment are supported by your experience or observations.
Required Readings
Document: Week 6 Weekly Briefing (PDF)
The Week 6 Weekly Briefing provides an essential introduction to the content and concepts that you will be studying during the week. After viewing the Weekly Introduction, the Week 6 Weekly Briefing should be your initial reading this week.
Derven, M. (2016). Diversity & Inclusion ARE ESSENTIAL TO A global virtual teamâ€
s SUCCESS: Purpose, people, and process are the three factors that make teams work. TD Magazine, (7), 54.
The article focuses on role of and for the success of global virtual teams. Topics discussed include need for employees to build local stakeholder commitment and improve capabilities; benefits such as understanding cultural norms at the local level and for better customer retention; and its role as a purposeful practice of encouraging different viewpoints.
Hoever, I., van Knippenberg, D., van Ginkel, W., & Barkema, H. (2012). Fostering team creativity: Perspective taking as key to unlocking diversity’s potential. The Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(5), 982–996.
This article presents a theoretical model about the effect of a teamâ€
s diversity on its creativity. Perspective taking is identified as a facet of diversity that enhances creativity by fostering information elaboration.
Kim, Y. S., Kim, M. S., & Wilde, D. (2008). Toward the management of design creativity: Personal creativity modes, design activity, and team interaction. Design Management Journal, 3(2), 45–52.
This article presents various personal creativity modes at work in design teams. Cultural diversity and other differences are also explored as having influence on the outcome of design teams.
Ekvall, G. (1996). Organizational climate for creativity and innovation. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 5(1) 105–123.
This article describes an instrument for measuring organizational structure and climate regarding their influence on creativity and innovation.
Organizational climate for creativity and innovation by Ekvall, G. in the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology. 5/1. Copyright 1996 by Psychology Press. Reprinted by permission of Taylor & Francis Informa UK, LTD–Journals via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., & Murdock, M. C. (2011) Creative climate: Work environment allows IDEO to deliver promise of innovation. In Puccio, Mance & Murdock, Creative leadership: Skills that drive change (pp. 314–320). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
This case study focuses on IDEO, a multi-national firm renowned for its innovation efforts and its support of its employeesâ€
creativity. As you read this case, consider Teresa Amabileâ€
s management “don’ts” and Morejonâ€
s analysis of creative climates. Does IDEO align with Amabile and Morejonâ€
s vision, or has it forged its own path to creating a creative workplace? How would you create your own creative organization?
Creative Leadership: Skills that drive change, Second Edition by Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., and Murdock, M.C. Copyright 2011 by Sage. Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Inc. Books via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Amabile, T. M. (1998). How to kill creativity. Harvard Business Review, 76(5), 15–24.
Teresa Amabile, of Harvard Universityâ€
s Business School, is one of the most respected scholars on creativity and innovation. In this classic article, she discusses some of the most common management practices that stifle employeeâ€
s creativity. By learning what not to do as a manager, you can begin to generate your own ideas to help turn your organization into a creative powerhouse.
Required Media
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