CREATIVITY AND

INNOVATION

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 WHAT IS CREATIVITY
1. Lotherington,2008 • the merging of ideas which have not been
merged before.
• New ideas are formed by developing current
ones within our minds.

2. Dorf and Byers, 2005 •the ability to use the imagination to develop new
ideas, new things or new solutions

3. Matherly & •the generation of ideas that result in improved

Goldsmith, 1985 efficiency or effectiveness of a system.

4. May, 1975 the process of bringing something new into being.

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 WHAT IS INNOVATION
1. Howell & Higgins, 1990 the process by which entrepreneurs convert
opportunities into marketable ideas.

2. Drucker, 1985 the specific instrument of entrepreneurs, the means by

which they exploit change as an opportunity for a
different business or a different service.

3. Luecke and Katz (2003) "Innovation….is generally understood as the successful

introduction of a new thing or method . . .
Innovation is the embodiment, combination, or
synthesis of knowledge in original, relevant,
valued new products, processes, or services.

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 CREATIVITY, INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

1. Davila et al (2006) "Often, in common parlance, the words creativity and

innovation are used interchangeably.
They shouldn't be, because while creativity implies coming up
with ideas, it's the "bringing ideas to life“……that makes
innovation the distinct undertaking it is.“

2. Lotherington, 2003 Creativity enables people to connect unconnected things and from
that meeting, new ideas spring forth, whether they are new ideas for
doing things or new ideas for using things.

3. Amabile et al “All innovation begins with creative ideas…..We define innovation

(1996) as the successful implementation of creative ideas within an
organization.
In this view, creativity by individuals and teams is a starting point
for innovation; the first is necessary but not sufficient
condition for the second"

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 CREATIVITY, INNOVATION &
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
1. Creativity is the process of generating unique and useful
ideas.
2. Innovation will take place when there is a creative idea
generation.
3. Innovation is about taking the creative/unique new idea and
turning it into something of value
4. Innovation requires discipline and action to evaluate the
ideas, test them, modify them and then apply them. It is
through there disciplined and actions that turn an idea into
something of value.

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 CREATIVE PROCESS
• Edward De Bono, 1992 – creativity is a process that can
be developed and improved.
• Everyone possessed a certain degree of creativity, some
of us are more creative, and some are a little less.
• Creative process involves looking with different
perspectives on unique relationships of the
surroundings.

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 PHASES OF CREATIVE PROCESS
• Phase 1: Background or Knowledge Accumulation
• Involves seeking and gathering of information through observations,
readings, conversations with others, attending seminars, meetings and
workshops, etc.
• Phase 2: The Incubation Process
• Entrepreneurs deliberately allows creativity to spur by breaking-away
from the problem and let the subconscious mind work on it.
• Phase 3: The Idea Experience
• Discovery of the idea or solutions to the problems (eureka factor).
• Phase 4: Evaluation and Implementation
• Evaluation and implementation of workable ideas requires high level of
persistency and patience. Entrepreneurs do not easily give-up when
they face obstacles.

Source: Adopted from Entrepreneurship A Contemporary Approach, Donald F. Kuratko and Richard M. Hodgetts,
5th Ed. Harcourt, 2001
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 COMPONENTS OF CREATIVITY
a. Creative thinking skills
– The use of creative intelligence to approach problems
and find solutions
b. Knowledge
– Four styles of creative intelligence:
• Intuitive
• Innovative
• Imaginative
• Inspirational
c. Motivation
• Extrinsic
• Intrinsic

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 COMMON CREATIVITY TECHNIQUES
A. Brainstorming (Alex F. Osborn)
B. SCAMMPERR (Micheal Michalko)
C. Lateral thinking (Edward De Bono)
D. Mind mapping (Tony Buzan)
E. Problem reversal (Charles Thompson)
F. Attribute listing

Source: Adopted from http://www.mycoted.com/Category:Creativity_Techniques

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 A. Brainstorming (Alex F. Osborn )
• Organize the group of ideally 4-8 students (per group).
• Choose the topic (problem) and write it on a whiteboard. Lecturer must
make sure that everyone understands the problem or issue.
• Remember the rules:
i. Do not criticize. All ideas are welcome and valid.
ii. Do not limit the number of ideas. The aim of brainstorming is to get
large number of ideas.
iii. Do not filter /censor any ideas. Keep the brainstorming session
flowing.
iv. Listen to other ideas and use it to generate other ideas.
v. Do not discuss or question as it could stop the flow of ideas.
• The lecturer can conduct the session either in an unstructured way (any
group can give ideas at any time) or structure (going round the group for
ideas).
• The lecturer must be around to enforce the rules and write down all the
ideas.
• Lecturer should clarify and conclude the session.
• Lecturer should get a consensus of the best ideas produced from the session
(at least two).

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 C. Lateral Thinking (Edward de Bono)
• Lateral Thinking – seeking to solve problems by unorthodox
or apparently illogical methods (Concise Oxford Dictionary).
• Lateral thinking - moving sideways when working on a
problem to try different perceptions, different concepts and
different points of entry (get us out of the usual line of
thought).
• Lateral Thinking can be used in two approaches:
• Specific: A set of systematic techniques used for changing
concepts and perceptions, and generating new ones.
• General: Exploring multiple possibilities and approaches
instead of pursuing a single approach.

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 D. Mind Mapping (Tony Buzan)
• also called ‘spider diagrams’ which represents ideas, notes,
information, etc. in far-reaching tree-diagrams.
• To draw a mind-map:
• Put down a large sheet of paper and write a short heading for
the subject/theme in the centre of the page.
• For each major sub-topic start a new major branch from the
central subject/theme and label it.
• Each sub-sub-topic, creates a subordinate branch to the
appropriate main branch
• Carry on in this way for ever finer sub-branches.
• It may be appropriate to put an item in more than one place,
cross-link it to several other items or show relationships
between items on different branches. This can be done
through colour coding, type of writing etc.

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 E. Problem Reversal (Charles Thompson)
The Method
a. Create negative statements. For example, in dealing with Customer Service
issues, ask students to generate a list of all the ways to make customer service
bad.
b. Doing what everybody else doesn't. For example, food delivery using “mangkuk
tingkat” or selling women accessories using vending machine.
c. Make a list of pairs of opposing actions which can be applied to the problem.
Make students ask themselves "What if I ........" and plug in each one of the
opposites. A small sample:-
i. Stretch it/Shrink It
ii. Freeze it/Melt it
iii.Personalise it/De-personalise it
d. Change the direction or location of your perspective.
e. “Flip-flop” the results. For example, if we want to increase sales, think about
decreasing them. What would you have to do?
f. Turn defeat into victory or victory into defeat. For example, if something turns
out bad, think about the positive aspects of the situation. If I lost all of the files
off this computer, what good would come out of it? Maybe I would spend more
time with my family?! Who knows!
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 F. Attribute Listing
Steps:
1. Identify the product or process you are dissatisfied with or wish to improve.

2. List its attributes. For a simple physical object like a pen, this might include:
material, shape, target market, colors, textures, etc.

3. Choose, say, 7-8 of these attributes that seem particularly interesting or

important.

4. Identify alternative ways to achieve each attribute (e.g. different shapes:

cylindrical cubic, multi-faceted….), either by conventional enquiry, or via any idea-
generating technique.

5. Combine one or more of these alternative ways of achieving the required

attributes, and see if you can come up with a new approach to the product or
process you were working on.

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 BLOCKS TO CREATIVITY
• Blockages to creativity need to be recognized and
eliminated so that it will smooth the way to creativity.

CLASSIFICATION OF BLOCKS ARE :

A. Perceptual
B. Emotional
C. Cultural
D. Environmental
E. Intellectual/Conceptual
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 A. Perceptual Blocks
1. Prevent problem recognition, limiting the problem.

2. Inability to see problems from different perspectives

3. Stereotyping, missing the connections or associations

4. Not thinking outside the box

5. Literal thinking

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 B. Emotional Blocks
1. Fear of failure can paralyse us if we think what we are doing won’t
be good enough.

2. Will lead to procrastination and project abandonment.

3. Most blockages are attitudinal or psychological.

4. Inability to incubate can lead to other fears such as:

i. fear of problem,
ii. fear of work,
iii. fear of fun,
iv. fear of exploring and
v. fear of abandonment.
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1 Fear of problem
2 Fear of work
3 Fear of fun
4 Fear of exploring
5 Fear of abandonment
6 Judging rather than
generating ideas like :
7 Dislike new
challenges
We are inclined to worry when we view our situation as a
problem to be solved
Lazy to merge or seek new ideas
Believe that fun is childish and a waste of time, yet some of
the best ideas come when we are relaxing or fooling around.
Uncertainties of the unknown, rigid people feel
uncomfortable to be adventurous and discover because they
have to leave the safety of their known world
Comes from the need to conform. Conformity brings new
acceptance while deviating from normal path or escape show
our independence and make us stand out.
“Oh, that won’t work”
“We have tried that before. It didn’t work out well”
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 C. Cultural Blocks
1. Tradition is to be maintained.
2. Playfulness is only for children
3. Fantasies or dreams are for crazy people
4. Comfortable zone

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 D. Environmental Blocks
1. Environmental blockages are those impose upon us by external
factors. These include the working atmosphere, amount of
stress on individual, organizational culture, supervisory practices
and even the physical surroundings of our workspace.

2. Blockages can also arise from physical and mental exhaustion.

3. Examples:
I. Lack of corporation and trust among colleagues (lack esprit de corp)
II. Bosses who practice autocratic management
III. Too many distractions
IV. Lack of financial and top management support to bring ideas to
implementation

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 E. Intellectual/ Conceptual Blocks
1. Failure to understand and acknowledge problems that need
to be solved.

2. “I don’t know; “Don’t’ ask me”

3. “Try asking someone else”

4. Many creative solutions are hidden by mistaken assumptions.

Therefore, people need to be more open minded and
receptive.

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