Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
worthwhile, plausible, relevant, and intelligible. What is seen as appropriateness may change
depending upon prior insights, the initial problem definition, and the level of available
resources for implementing ideas.
Furthermore, when discussing creativity, it is helpful to distinguish between the four
elements of creativity as identified by Mooney (1963):
•
The creative environment (place, context, setting, or situation)
•
The creative person (levels of individual creativity)
•
The creative process (how creativity is undertaken)
•
The creative product (all output).
Supporting Creativity
Most findings from past empirical studies indicate that creative performance is highly
contingent upon a variety of environmental, cognitive, technological, and other factors.
Variables that produced different degrees of creativity include problem importance, common
perspectives, familiarity with possible solutions, trust, flexibility of process, external forces,
and feedback (Ford & Gioia, 2000). The optimal condition for high creativity involves working
alone with no expectation of evaluation (Shalley, 1995). In addition, being given creative
examples and informational feedback can also improve creative performance (Shalley & Perry-
Smith, 2001).
Consistent with the view that creative thinking can be learned by appropriate stimula-
tion and instruction, many techniques for idea generation have been developed to assist the
production of novel ideas. For general reviews, see Van Gundy (1988), who identifies 61 tools
for group idea generation; and Higgins (1994), who offers 101 creative problem-solving
techniques that can be used to increase the level of corporate innovation. Mind mapping is
an example of a method that involves recording the free flow of ideas by drawing a map that
iterates your ideas (Tomas, 1999). Moreover, a variety of technologies have been developed
that follow specific creative techniques (e.g., Ideafisher, Mindlink, IdeaPro, etc.) to facilitate
“out of the box” thinking (Sridhar, 2001).
Many of the available techniques to facilitate creativity are derivatives of
brainstorm-
ing
. Brainstorming was originally proposed by Alex Osborn (1957) as a means of generating
as many ideas as possible from group work. He claimed that a group can generate twice as
many ideas as individuals working alone, provided that the group follows a systematic
approach and adopts four rules. Osborn's purpose in suggesting these rules was to overcome
social and motivational difficulties that might inhibit the generation of ideas in groups.
The four rules are as follows:
1.
No criticism is allowed.
2.
Freewheeling is welcome.
3.
Quantity is wanted.
4.
Combination and improvement are sought.
For a brainstorming session, which can be conducted electronically or verbally, a group
is formed, and members of the group are encouraged to think freely and propose ideas. The
objective of brainstorming is to encourage associations. The basic assumption is that it is
possible to generate many ideas, provided that the individual is exposed to stimuli and has
experience, knowledge, the personal flexibility to develop various permutations and combi-
nations, and the capacity to make correct selections. The best ideas are listed, and this forms
