Two Theoretical Approaches or Problem Solving Processes of Creativity - Essay Example

Creativity: Theoretical approaches Name of the Student: Name of the Instructor: Name of the course: Code of the course: Submission date: Comparing two theoretical approaches or problem solving processes of creativity Introduction It is an apparent fact that many scholars and practitioners have alluded to the imperative role of creativity in any given organization. This is best epitomized by Agbor (39) who determined that while culture, technology, strategy and other management are fundamental in establishing effectiveness in the 21st century organizations, creativity is what propels organizational success in many sectors. In this case, creativity can basically be perceived as typically referring to the production of ideas which are both new and useful by any individual or a group of individuals who are engaged in a mutual task (Amabile, 1). Towards developing a clearer perception of creativity at the organizational level, diverse scholars have made attempts to advance different theoretical approaches to the tenet of creativity. Nonetheless, this paper will be concentrated on only two theoretical approaches of creativity which will be fortified by robust practical work based examples to explain them. These two theoretical approaches are explored in the subsequent section. Personality theory According to Sternberg (89), a wide alley of research investigations have underpinned the central role of particular personality attributes for the purposes of creative functioning. These attributes are best epitomized by the willingness to surmount specific obstacles, willingness to tolerate ambiguity and self-efficacy as well as the willingness to undertake sensible risks among others. This theory further asserts that creativity is a state of mind which can be learned and that some people seem to possess a facility of it while on the other hand others do not but this latter state can be enhanced through practice. The cognition of personality characteristics having a strong association with creative achievements and activities has culminated in researches being carried out in different domains at diverse age levels by investigators who put into utility a wide variety of procedures. This has been through approaching the task from both the intra as well as inter-field points of view (Barron and Harrington, 454). The personality theory also asserts that there is a prerequisite of extensive persistence in order to brave any resistance which might be stimulated by the change process. This is best epitomized in a work based situation whereby an organization can be confronted with a market flooding crisis whereby the supply of a particular product can be extremely high thus minimizing the demand and price of that product in the market. In this case, an individual with a creative personality can risk to seek for new markets where the supply of this particular product is low. Thus, he/she is able to buy this product at a low price in the immediate market and proceed to sell the same product at a high price in the new market where the supply is low and the demand is higher. This is unlike in the association theory in subsequent analysis which is founded on the application of procedures from one area to another through a clear knowledge path. The applicability of this workplace example of creativity in terms of buying low and selling high is fortified by diverse scholars, for instance, Sternberg (2003) and Sternberg and Lubart (1995) among others who determined that the tendency of buying low and selling high has a typical meaning of defying the crowd. In this case, one has the willingness of standing up to conventions if at all he/she wants to think and eventually act in a creative manner. However, it is fundamental to be cognizant of the fact that it is prudent to remove all the mental barriers to creativity in order to permit the flourishing of spontaneity. This is best exemplified in an organizational set-up whereby particular individuals can be opposed to the implementation of a particular model of operations based on the tradition which has taken root in that given institution. For example, an institution can have a long organizational culture of hiring fresh human resource and retrenching the old one in case of the advent of a new technology which the old employees are not conversant with. In this case, they can be opposed to the idea of instigating a training and development program aimed at equipping the old employees with the necessary skills and knowledge core in coping with the changes brought about by new technologies. In such a case, there is need to change these mental barriers to the creative ideas of formulating and implementing a training and development program which can be central in saving the organization huge sums of monies related to selection and recruitment processes as well as constantly improving the terms of employment of new employees. The success of this latter process is central in the development and flourishing of spontaneity among those previously opposed to the creative idea. Theory of association This has been termed as perhaps being the most popular theoretical approach to creativity. This theory basically suggests on the application of procedures from one given area to another. This is exemplified whereby in case an organization is confronted with a particular crisis at the current time, solutions and procedures used to surmount a similar crisis in the past can be retrieved and applied to the current situation which is central in solving it. Moreover, an individual who might have lived in different organizational set-up or cultural orientation can create a creative association between the problem solving skills acquired in previous predisposition and apply them to solve a crisis in the current organizational or cultural set-up. The reality of the cultural orientation association underpinning creativity was revealed by Leung and Chiu (cited by Maddux and Galinsky, 1048) who measured multi-cultural experience predicting creativity. This is unlike the personality theory which is founded on a particular individual using attributed inherently embedded in him or her in a creative process. In a workplace set-up, an individual who have lived in a different country where negotiation practices are robust has the capacity of appropriately associating his experience in contract negotiations acquired in the given country in his current country and workplace. This is more likely in case the negotiation process in question is international in nature and involving the current country and the country whereby the individual initiating the negotiation previously lived. This is best epitomized in a negotiation process of an American company seeking a contract in the United Arab Emirates. It is an apparent fact that these two countries have differences in the negotiation processes based on their individualistic vs. collective cultures which can be central in either the success or failure of the negotiation process. In this case, an individual who is currently employed in the American company can associate his previous experiences in the UAE to initiate a successful negotiation process with the current prospective clients from the gulf which is central in solving a rooming stalemate. This reality is supported by the American Psychological Association (1) who determined that negotiators who possess a wealth of experience living abroad are more likely to arrive at a successful deal which demands the creative insight of association. Additionally, it has been revealed that the association theory of creativity underpins the rationale for many divergent thinking techniques, for instance, lateral thinking and brainstorming. This is best epitomized in a workplace situation whereby a firm can experience a 50% drastic performance from 100 items being produced per hour to around 50 items. In this case, rather than using the traditional logic of hiring extra workforce in order to boost output and push it back to where it was originally, lateral thinking can be utilized to solve this problem. This can be through improving the wages of the current employees in order to enhance their motivation and commitment which has a higher probability of pushing the production volume to where it was originally. In this case, lateral thinking in solving this problem entails creativity through creating an association between demotivation of workers with reduced performance. Thus, the association theory as expounded in the preceding analysis can be perceived to be central in boosting creativity and problem solving approaches in different organizations. Conclusion It is apparent from the preceding discourse that creativity is plays a key role in any given organization. This analysis has forwarded a robust definition of creativity as well as being cognizant of the existence of diverse theoretical approaches to creativity. However, it has centered on two theories namely the personality theory and the theory of association. This review has revealed that personality attributes like the willingness to surmount specific obstacles, willingness to tolerate ambiguity and self-efficacy as well as the willingness to undertake sensible risks among others are central in supporting the level of creativity among particular individuals. This has been exemplified by the buying low and selling high example from a work situation. On the other hand, this analysis has explored the association theory of creativity which is considered as being perhaps the most popular theoretical approach to creativity. Subsequently, the analysis has supported the application of procedures from one given area to another through the negotiation process initiated by an individual employed in an American company who had previously been living in the UAE. Works cited Agbor, Emmanuel. Creativity and Innovation: The Leadership Dynamics. Journal of Strategic Leadership, 1.1 (2008): 39-45. Amabile, Teresa. ‘How to kill Creativity’, Harvard Business Review’. 5th January, 1996. Web. 18th July, 2013. (http://hbr.org/1998/09/how-to-kill-creativity/ar/1) American Psychological Association. Living Outside the Box: New Evidence Shows Going Abroad Linked to Creativity. 23rd April, 2009. Web. 18th July, 2013. (http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2009/04/abroad-creativity.aspx). Barron, Frank and Harrington, David. Creativity, Intelligence, and Personality. Annual Review of Psychology, 32 (1981): 439–476 Maddux, William and Galinsky, Adam. Cultural Borders and Mental Barriers: The Relationship Between Living Abroad and Creativity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96.5 (2009): 1047-1061. Sternberg, Robert. The Nature of Creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 18.1 (2006): 87-98. Sternberg, Robert. Psychologists defying the crowd: Stories of those who battled the establishment and won. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2003. Print. Sternberg, Robert and Lubart, Todd. Defying the crowd. New York: Free Press, 1995. Print. Read More