Discuss about the Mobilising Creativity and Innovation for Osborn- Parnes.
It is without a doubt that, the business environment globally has faced a massive shift as compared to how it was earlier. This is due to; changes in technology, realignment of business functions, and customers’ perception among other dynamics. Due to all these changes, organizations might find that efficiency alone is not sufficient; therefore, the emphasis of creativity and innovation within the organizational setup has started being explored as a strategic management tool of enhancing organizational performance. (O’Neal, Paek and Runco, 2015)
The processes of creativity and innovation was first studied at the individual employee level then later shifted to the organizational level. It was apparent that creativity and innovation are processes that emanate from individuals as they branch off affecting the whole organization in the process. (Rozman and Kova?, 2015)
Creative problem solving is beyond brainstorming; according to (Xanthakou and Kai?la, 2011) creative problem solving is a process made up of elements that broaden the normal mindset to uncover a wide range of ideas, after which a critical evaluation of the ideas is done in order to find a set of possible solutions.
There are various theories and models of problem solving with one of the most known and elaborate being Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving process. According to Osborn-Parnes model, the process of problem solving has several steps which can be broken down into four major steps which include;
In this stage all problems and relevant sub problems are identified in order to come up with innovative solutions which are unusual and original. It is important to take time during this stage so as to properly evaluate all dimensions of the problem which will in turn affect the diversity of possible solutions
In this step, consideration of all gathered data is key; data deemed both relevant and irrelevant should be given priority on equal measure to give a clear picture of the challenge at hand. This might also incite a new line of thought on possible solutions of how to solve the problem at hand
This stage prompts reexamination of the initial problem after consideration of facts from the second stage. At times the initial dimensions of the problems change after the fact finding stage thereby prompting a different mode of handling the problem.
This stage actually aims to explore as many ideas as possible on how to answer the challenge at hand. Creative and innovative thinking is highly encouraged during this phase in order to come up with the best possible solution on how to solve the problem
From the possible solutions identified on the previous step, a criteria of choosing the best is put in place where the best solution is chosen and further strengthened for implementation.
Formulation of an implementation plan is made, resources for implementation are sought and any possible challenge that may arise during implementation identified and resolved then the solution identified is finally put into implementation
The whole aspect of creativity and innovation comes with several avenues of growth and opportunities to the organization and also the individuals working within.
It is apparent that those organizations which embrace creativity and innovation in its operations tend to achieve competitive advantage. Creativity and innovation springs an organization to come up with new products and ideas on how to run their operations instead of copying already existing ones (Stierand, Dörfler and MacBryde, 2014). This will make them break away from their competitors instead of being in competition with them and they will do so by utilizing their creative and innovative ideas thus offering new, unique even better products and/or services.
The whole aspect of creativity and innovation acts under the premise of increased individual interaction amongst teams or within the organizational setup. Therefore within those organizations which encourage creative and innovative thinking improved levels of communication is expected.
Studies have shown that creativity and innovation in the workplace can be a source of intrinsic motivation(Creative Thinking in Product Innovative Design: A Handcuff Case Study, 2014). This statement is also in agreement with the humanistic theory of creativity. Individuals tend to feel a sense of personal accomplishment when they come up with ideas which end up being implemented. This can in turn promote the sense belonging of that employee within that particular organization
Continuous improvement is a vital component in organizational development. Creativity and innovation promotes continuous improvement of systems within the organization. Continuous improvement being a quality management aspect is normally difficult to implement for those organizations who don’t promote a good environment for creative and innovative thinking
A setup of creative and innovative thinking within the organization also promotes identification of unique qualities and attributes of individuals. By taping on such unique qualities of individuals, the business may actually benefit from standing out from the rest of their competitors.
Despite the various benefits that may accrue from promotion of organizational creativity and innovation, there are several challenges which may block such an environment from being actualized some of which are listed below;
One of the major barriers of organizational creativity and innovation is the organization structure itself. Within the traditional organizational setup, there normally is a predefined job description and working relationship which limit the staff to their specific departments or teams. Such a setup constrains employees or individuals within groups to think within their working limits and such a structure can inhibit creative thinking and innovation, in order to facilitate an environment which promotes creative thinking and innovation, it is recommended that establishment of a hybrid system which allows employees flexibility that does not limit them to strictly work full time within their usual environments (Çokpekin and Knudsen, 2012).
Most of the times, the environment of creative thinking is hindered by the fear of looking foolish or being punished by not coming up with a brilliant idea (Interview: Paul Paulus on Group Creativity, 2013). The whole concept of creativity and innovation lies on the premise of new ideas either foolish or otherwise. In fact according to the Mental Illness Theory of Creativity suggests some level of insanity at times can play a part in coming up with creative ideas.
At times organizations or the top management are lax on implementing the ideas due to myriad of reasons. According to Rosenzweig and Grinstein (2015), the cost function of implementation of a new idea has always been one of the major hindrances of promoting a creative and innovative culture.
Conclusion
In conclusion it is important for organizations to give a thorough analysis and consideration of promoting creativity and innovation from an individual level to the various organizational teams and ultimately to the whole organizations as a unit to reap the various benefits brought forth by such an environment. The recommendations given will be of help at combating the various challenges of creating a suitable creative and innovative environment.
From the discussion put forth, some of the recommendations which can be given to foster creative thinking and innovation in individuals and also within the organization include;
A continuous process of improving employee skills through training, workshops among other forum is highly recommended. This will equip the employees with skills which can allow them to continue finding and developing new approaches of solving problems, and coming up with new ideas of product generation (Ouakouak and Ouedraogo, 2017)
It is important to encourage new and at times preferably unconventional views on how to solve reciprocating problems within the work place. Motivation through encouragement or rewarding of individuals for coming up with workable ideas can also be an important aspect in promoting an environment of creative thinking and innovation.
It is also recommended that the management of an organization take the initiative in promoting an environment of creative thinking and innovation through restructuring of their operations, and organization structure (Kijewska and Nowak, 2015). Google is a notable organization which is known to promote such an environment, and the results can clearly be seen.
It is also encouraged not only to come up with innovative ideas, but also complete the process by implementing those ideas to see the fruits. Many at times individuals or organizations receive many innovative ideas, but the same ideas die during the implementation phase, (Carlgren, Elmquist and Rauth, 2016)
Creation of innovation teams can also play a major role in fostering an environment of creativity and innovation. Putting individuals or teams in challenging environments which necessitate them to think outside the box is also good in fostering creativity. This is in agreement with the psychoanalytic theory of creativity which suggests that under duress, individuals tend to come up with new ideas on how to solve impending problems. It is to be noted however that pushing the limits of the challenges too much can have a backlash effect (Caniëls and Rietzschel, 2013).
References
Caniëls, M. and Rietzschel, E. (2013). A Special Issue of Creativity and Innovation Management: Organizing Creativity: Creativity and Innovation under Constraints. Creativity and Innovation Management, 22(1), pp.100-102.
Carlgren, L., Elmquist, M. and Rauth, I. (2016). The Challenges of Using Design Thinking in Industry – Experiences from Five Large Firms. Creativity and Innovation Management, 25(3), pp.344-362.
Çokpekin, Ö. and Knudsen, M. (2012). Does Organizing for Creativity Really Lead to Innovation?. Creativity and Innovation Management, 21(3), pp.304-314.
Creative Thinking in Product Innovative Design: A Handcuff Case Study. (2014). Applied Mechanics and Materials, 635-637, pp.1969-1972.
Interview: Paul Paulus on Group Creativity. (2013). Creativity and Innovation Management, 22(1), pp.96-99.
Kijewska, J. and Nowak, W. (2015). Informative Aspects of Innovation Implementation within Organisations. Przedsiebiorczosc i Zarzadzanie, 16(2).
O’Neal, I., Paek, S. and Runco, M. (2015). Comparison of Competing Theories about Ideation and Creativity. Creativity. Theories – Research – Applications, 2(2).
Ouakouak, M. And Ouedraogo, N. (2017). Antecedents Of Employee Creativity And Organisational Innovation: An Empirical Study. International Journal of Innovation Management, 21(07), p.1750060.
Rosenzweig, S. and Grinstein, A. (2015). How Resource Challenges Can Improve Firm Innovation Performance: Identifying Coping Strategies. Creativity and Innovation Management, 25(1), pp.110-128.
Rozman, R. and Kova?, J. (2015). Individual and Organisational Creativity and Innovation: Their Management. Dynamic Relationships Management Journal, 4(2), pp.39-50.
Stierand, M., Dörfler, V. and MacBryde, J. (2014). Creativity and Innovation in Haute Cuisine: Towards a Systemic Model. Creativity and Innovation Management, 23(1), pp.15-28.
Xanthakou, G. and Kai?la, M. (2011). Creative problem solving. New York: Nova Science Publishers.
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