CREATIVITY AND

INNOVATION

How innovative are you?

Chapter 16 Lecture 3

Solve the problem

Remove three sticks to leave four

See this figure?

Divide the figure below into as many pieces

as you can by making four straight cuts with
a long knife

2 Dimensions=11

Cuts and pieces

3 dimensions=14

imagine its a cake

Another Perspective

Fold it after each cut=16

New Challenge

A company manufactures glassware. The last step

of the process is to wrap glasses individually in
used newspapers and then place them in a
specially designed box. The box is then sealed.
Management notices low productivity with this
last step, observing that workers occasionally stop
to read the newspapers? What can management
do to increase productivity?

Steps to Personal Creativity

1. Accept that you can be creative

2. Question traditional assumptions
3. Expand your problem-solving styles
4. Employ creativity techniques
5. Practice thinking in new ways
6. Learn when your creative thinking is best
Adapted in part from Higgins, James M. 1997. Escape From The Maze. New York: New
Management Publishing.

Relevance to Globalization

In a rapidly changing global world,

managers must use all their abilities to
anticipate opportunities and threats

Future Visions of the Auto

Industry

Fuel injections will require much less gas

Need for lean production
There will be need for small autos to serve utilitarian mass
markets
There will be more women drivers in Europe and Asia
Emotions will be used to promote products
Increased speed limits
More roads will be needed

Future Visions of the Food

Industry

This is a recession-proof industry with very slim profit

margins
We see segmentation of markets and niche development
Many consumers/nations leapfrog to the latest trends rather
than following a particular development process
The natural environment is increasingly important
Computer technology linking suppliers gets food to market
at a lower price
In Western countries there is a trend toward less cooking in
the home

Envisioning Techniques

Linear
step-by-step; scenario planning, etc.

Intuitive
imagery; brainstorming; analogy

Stimulants to Work Creativity*

1) FREEDOM in deciding work to do or how to do it

2) CHALLENGE to work hard on important projects
3) RESOURCES needed to do the work
4) ENCOURAGEMENT from a supervisor who is a good work
model, sets appropriate goals, supports and has confidence in the work
group
5) WORK GROUP SUPPORTS such as diverse skills, people who
communicate well, are open to new ideas, constructively challenge one
anothers work, trust and help each other, and feel committed to their
work
6) ORGANIZATIONAL ENCOURAGEMENT in a culture that
supports creativity and communicates a shared vision of organization

Obstacles to Work Creativity

1) ORGANIZATIONAL IMPEDIMENTS such as

internal political problems, harsh criticism of new
ideas, destructive internal competition, avoidance
of risk and overemphasis on the status quo
2) WORKLOAD PRESSURES such as extreme
time pressure, unrealistic expectations, or
distractions

Weigh the Odds

You have 50 coins of which one is slightly

heavier than all others. This weight
difference can be detected on a balance
scale

What is the least number of weighings

required to find the heaviest coin?

New Challenge

A
A

B
C