David R. Peterson

Mental Models and Creative Problem-Solving: The Relationship of Objective and Subjective Model Attributes

Knowledge, or expertise, has been held to contribute to creative problem-solving. In this effort, the relationship of one form of knowledge, mental models, to creative problem-solving was assessed. Undergraduates were asked to solve either a marketing or an education problem calling for creative thought. Prior to generating solutions to these problems, the mental models used by undergraduates to understand problems in these domains were assessed in terms of their objective and subjective features. It was found that both objective and subjective features of peoples mental models were related to the quality, originality, and elegance of problem solutions. The implications of these findings for understanding the role of mental models in creative problem-solving are discussed.

Errors and Understanding: The Effects of Error-Management Training on Creative Problem-Solving

People make errors in their creative problem-solving efforts. The intent of this article was to assess whether error-management training would improve performance on creative problem-solving tasks. Undergraduates were asked to solve an educational leadership problem known to call for creative thought where problem solutions were scored for quality, originality, and elegance. Prior to beginning work on their problem solutions, participants were provided with training in 0 to 4 error-management strategies. It was found that error-management training was beneficial for talented people (as indicated by scores on the pretraining exercise) resulting in solutions of greater originality. The implications of these findings for improving performance on creative problem-solving tasks are discussed.

Causal Analysis to Enhance Creative Problem-Solving: Performance and Effects on Mental Models

In recent years, it has become apparent that knowledge is a critical component of creative thought. One form of knowledge that might be particularly important to creative thought relies on the mental models people employ to understand novel, ill-defined problems. In this study, undergraduates were given training in the use of causal relationships in applying mental models in creative problem-solving. A pre-post design was used to assess the effects of this training on mental models and creative problem-solving. It was found that causal analysis training resulted in the acquisition of better mental models (in terms of subjective and objective attributes) and better solutions (in terms of quality, originality, and elegance) to problems calling for creative thought among high-ability participants. The implications of these findings for understanding the role of mental models in creative problem-solving are discussed.

Thinking About Applications: Effects on Mental Models and Creative Problem-Solving

Many techniques have been used to train creative problem-solving skills. Although the available techniques have often proven to be effective, creative training often discounts the value of thinking about applications. In this study, 248 undergraduates were asked to develop advertising campaigns for a new high-energy soft drink. Solutions to this problem were evaluated for quality, originality, and elegance. Prior to preparing these advertising campaigns, participants were provided with training in strategies for thinking about the potential applications of creative problem-solutions. It was found that training people to think about the uses of ideas and preparation for idea implementation contributed to the acquisition of stronger mental models and production of advertising campaigns evidencing greater quality, originality, and elegance. The implications of these findings for creative though and creative education are discussed.

Teaching People to Manage Constraints: Effects on Creative Problem-Solving

Constraints often inhibit creative problem-solving. This study examined the impact of training strategies for managing constraints on creative problem-solving. Undergraduates, 218 in all, were asked to work through 1 to 4 self-paced instructional programs focused on constraint management strategies. The quality, originality, and elegance of solutions to social innovation problems were assessed. It was found that providing training in managing resource constraints was generally valuable. For talented individuals, providing training in managing user skill constraints also proved valuable. The implications of these findings for training intended to improve creative thinking are discussed.

Kognitive Aspekte sozialer Innovation: Wirkungsanalyse, Prognose und Klugheit

Soziale Innovation als die Erzeugung und Implementierung von kreativen Losungen fur masgebliche soziale Problemstellungen stellt in der Welt, in der wir leben, ein Phanomen von groser Bedeutung dar. Dieses Argument lasst sich anhand einiger Beispiele veranschaulichen: Benjamin Franklin fuhrte die erste lebensfahige Papierwahrung ein, indem er den Wert von Papier an Land knupfte (Mumford 2001). Das Konzept der Effizienz – ein Konzept, das die moderne Arbeitswelt masgeblich gepragt hat – geht auf soziale Innovationen von Frederick Taylor zuruck (Kanigel 1997). Schlieslich lassen sich demokratische Regierungsformen auf soziale Innovationen verschiedener Personen – wie Voltaire, Jefferson und Hobbes – zuruckfuhren (Ellis 2000). In Politik, Industrie und Wirtschaft, aber auch in unserem taglichen Leben haben soziale Innovationen also eine starke Wirkung (Florida 2007) und formen das Wesen und den Sinnzusammenhang von uns allen.

Creativity in organizations : conclusions

Publisher Summary This chapter provides concluding remarks for this book. It identifies some significant factors that contribute to creativity in organizations. It focuses on importance of creativity and innovation to real-world organizations. Globalization is occurring, changes in technology are now commonplace, market competition is increasing, and economic volatility has also become more of a concern. This then leads to the point that organizations must tap into their creative potential or risk dying. Thus creativity may hold more importance to organizations now than in the past, and more in the future than in current times. It is important to consider creativity and innovation on this larger scale, with organizations providing a viable starting point. There are some limitations in the book. It fails to include economic factors, corporate willingness to invest, and a fields readiness for innovation.

The ethical demands made on leaders of creative efforts

How should leaders make ethical decisions about the production and dissemination of creative products, when creative work adds to the normal leadership workload the complications of ill-defined tasks, uncertain solution paths, professionals who tend toward autonomy and exploration, and diversities of expertise that must collaborate? Ethics addresses the outcomes of decisions—typically the outcomes of decisions vis-a-vis others (Trevino, Brown, & Hartman, 2003). Creativity, the production of new ideas, and innovation, the translation of these ideas into viable new products and services (Mumford & Gustafson, 1988), are complex performances (Mumford, 2012) that can affect not only those involved in their production, but the organization and society more broadly.

Creativity in Organizations

Publisher Summary It is granted that creativity and innovation are critical to the growth and performance of organizations. The intuitive conception of creativity holds that it involves the production of new ideas. Creativity is not simply a matter of idea production—although this may be an important influence on creativity. Rather, creativity is defined as the production of high quality, original, and elegant solutions to problems. To capitalize on creativity and innovation organizations, one must bear in mind three key considerations. First, creativity and innovation are highly complex phenomena at any given level of analysis. Second, multiple phenomena exist at the individual, group, and organizational levels. Third, the phenomena that operate at one level are not necessarily well integrated, or consistent with, those operating at other levels. Complexity, multiple levels, and inconsistencies in effects across levels present all organizations with a challenge in their attempts to encourage creativity and innovation.