Organizational

Creativity
Wendy M. Williams & Lana T. Yang

“If you want creative workers, give them enough time to

play”
- John Cleese

Cesar Ortega
&
Matt Villaneuva
 The Gameplan

Classic Views of Organization

Division of Labor Formal Views of Creativity
Modern Work Environment Systems Model
Componential Model

How Organizational Creativity can be Increased

Selznick’s Approach Corporate Strategies

Training Creativity?
The Organizational Structure:
Affect on Creativity
• “Old School” Method of Production
• Controlled Environments
• Supervisors for Accountability
 Adam Smith
• 1723-1790 • Pioneer of Political
Economics
• Free Market is
Guided by
Invisible Hand • An Inquiry into the
Nature and Causes of
the Wealth of
• Individual Self Nations
Interest = Good of
Society
At age 4, he was
kidnapped by Gypsies in
Scotland.
 Modern Work Environment
• Structural Obstacles to
Innovation

• Lack of Open Communication

• Unity of Command ≠ Job Specialization
• Product Life Cycle < Worker Life Cycle
• Sprint Up Learning Curve
 Modern Work Environment
• Personal Obstacles to Innovation

• Merton:
• Goal Displacement
• Bureaucratic Personality

The “New” Employee

• Retraining Current Workforce
• Hiring Employees that Think Differently
 Theories of
Creativity: In the
Workplace
• Systems Views of Creativity
Csikszentmihalyi
• Creative Process is not in a
vacuum
•Environments Have an
Effect on Creativity
 Theories of
Creativity: In the
Workplace
• Thinking Process Views of Creativity
Investment Theory
• Buy Low / Sell High
• Quick Turn-Around
 Theories of
Creativity: In the
Workplace
• Organizational Views of Creativity
Amabile’s Componential Model

DomAallionc-
CoIrnMotivation
prtoni rastiec Rateinlegvant
CTausltkure ReSsokuilrsces

CTreimateiv,itFyreRedleovma,
nt OpSekninlzess
Corporate Culture Allocating Resources
• Good Project
Management
• Atmosphere of • Sufficient Resources
Cooperation
• Ample Recognition
• Sense of Challenge
• Pressure to Intrinsic Task Domain-Relevant
Accomplish Goals Motivation Skills

Creativity Relevant
Skillz

Time, Freedom,
Openness
• Considerable Freedom
•Encouragement
 Gaining Acceptance of
Innovation
Selznick’s Ideas:
• “Keep your friends close, and your enemies
closer.”
Trained Incapacity Idiosyncrasy Credit
 Should Organizations Train
Creativity?
• Training leads to...
Self-efficacy
Empowerment
Motivation
 Corporate Strategies

• “Self-Directed Work Teams”

• Team Spirit • “Z Organizations”

Company Investment is the Key

Google Zurich
Pixar
VW
Plant
 Mindlab at the Ministry of
Economic and Business
Affairs
 Blockbuster Bankruptcy

What Happened?
• Resistant to • Employees Not Motivated
Change • No Vertical Communication
 Proactive Employee
• Hate Your Job? Here’s How to
Reshape It

• www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,19441
 Discussion Questions

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?

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?

3. Do you see the structural or personal obstacles to creativity as being easier to remedy in
the workplace?
4. In your personal work/life experience what environmental factors are
most important?

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?
 Discussion Questions
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?

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?

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