Sara B. Marcketti

The Efficacy of Teaching Creativity: Assessment of Student Creative Thinking Before and After Exercises

As the global environment becomes increasingly more turbulent and competitive, creativity becomes the focus when preparing current students and future citizens to deal with uncertainty and to adapt to continuous change both personally and professionally. The purpose of the study was to understand how student creative thinking could be increased in a university classroom. Creativity exercises that can be incorporated in various courses were developed. The exercises formed four learning modules: (a) what is creativity, (b) recognizing and identifying opportunities, (c) generating ideas, and (d) evaluating creative ideas. Four instructors administered the exercises in five courses. To evaluate effectiveness of the training, figural format of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) was used to assess student creative thinking before and after completion of the exercises. Creative thinking, which was operationalized as the composite Creativity Index measured by the TTCT, was significantly higher for the total group of participants after completion of the creativity exercises than before the training. Individual class analyses showed that students in four of the five participating classes had significantly higher creative thinking after completion of the exercises. The study demonstrates that by incorporating creativity exercises into existing courses, instructors can help students develop creative thinking —a critical aspect of one’s professional development.

University Historic Clothing Museums and Collections: Practices and Strategies

University historic dress collections and museums provide unique opportunities to actively fulfill critical mission statements of the university, including possibilities for research projects, providing firsthand opportunities for students to view real-life objects, and outreach/service opportunities to the public. Despite the importance of collections in fulfilling university missions, research about current practices and best practices is scarce. The purpose of this study was to document practices, challenges, and opportunities for excellence experienced by university collections within the United States. To explore the topic, a qualitative methodology in which 14 curators and collection managers were interviewed was utilized. The results of this study suggest that many curators and collection managers endure many similar struggles within their departments, such as lack of financial resources, time, and support from upper administration. Yet, all of the participants stated the significant contributions and impact material culture can have on the mission of their institutions.

Leading with relationships: a small firm example

Purpose – For the continued vitality and success of small businesses, it is important to gain a deeper understanding of the effective behaviors of small business owners. The main purpose of this paper is to further the understanding of the relational leadership framework as used by a successful small business owner.Design/methodology/approach – Data on the small business owner participating in this study were gathered via formal and informal interviews.Findings – Results of this paper suggest that the profit potential of an organization as well as employee retention can be improved through leadership that embraces the five key components of the relational leadership framework: inclusiveness, empowerment, purposefulness, ethics, and process‐orientation.Practical implications – Given the challenges of owning and operating a small firm in todays competitive business climate, it is worthwhile for entrepreneurs to use this case study as an example in effectively managing their organizations.Originality/value ...

Women and apparel entrepreneurship: An exploration of small business challenges and strategies in three countries

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to explore strategies used by successful female entrepreneurs to manage the challenges of running a small apparel business. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative research design was used. Primary and secondary data were collected on small business in three countries: Russia, South Africa and Thailand. In-depth interviews were conducted with a total of 11 female small apparel business owners. Businesses ranged from tailoring and custom clothing shops, to small-scale design and production, as well as small apparel retail stores. Findings – Three emergent themes highlight the similarities and differences that surfaced across the participants’ narratives. Key issues within the thematic areas point to the need for these women to be creative in finding resources to start and grow their small apparel businesses, and to manage the competition that they face within this industry. Research limitations/implications – It is difficult to generalize the findings of this stu...

Use of social networking services for marketing art museums

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of social networking services (SNS) by art museums and the effectiveness of SNS as marketing tools. Staff members responsible for SNS from 12 art museums in the Midwestern United States were interviewed to gain an in-depth understanding of SNS usage and their perceptions of SNS effectiveness. We identified three distinct marketing applications for which SNS were being used: building awareness, engaging with the community, and networking. Based on analysis of the data, three marketing strategies using SNS were proposed for cultivating relationships with visitors. Other recommendations included incorporating SNS into formal strategic marketing plans aimed at improving museum–visitor relationships and establishing protocols to maximize the efficient use of available resources.

Putting the puzzle together: apparel professionals' perspectives on creativity

The purpose of this study was to understand the role of creativity within the apparel industry by exploring experiences and perspectives of industry professionals. This research investigated: (1) how the industry insiders understood creativity and (2) how they utilised it in their careers. In-depth, structured interviews were used to collect the data. A total of 28 professionals in diverse positions employed in various apparel-related organisations participated in the study. A phenomenological interpretation of the data resulted in three topical areas that allowed mapping the creativity phenomenon to facilitate a deeper understanding of its nature, manifestation and outcomes. The mapping process resulted in a creativity framework that may be used for developing creative thinking skills and opens up new research venues.

“The New Costumes of Odd Sizes” Plus-Sized Women’s Fashions, 1920–1929

By 1916 over 13 million women or 12.7% of the total U.S. population was considered overweight or “stout.” In the 1920s, the term “stout.” indicated an (often matronly appearance) with generous bust, back and hip curves that did not fit with fashion s demands of the ideal stylish figure. Research related to ready-to-wear fashions for plus sized women in the 20th century is almost non-existent. The purpose of this study was to explore available ready-to-wear fashions for the plus sized woman during the years 1920-1929. To explore this topic, a historical method approach was utilized using primary sources that included The New York Times, Vogue, and Good Housekeeping. The results of this study identified prescriptive and proscriptive advice regarding appropriate clothing styles and merchandising trends marketed to plus sized women.

An exploration of success factors from the perspective of global apparel entrepreneurs and small business owners: implications for apparel programmes in higher education

ABSTRACT Given the high number of small-sized apparel-related businesses operating within the global economy, it is likely that graduates of apparel programmes in higher education will go on to work for a small business or to partner with such firms in the global manufacturing process. This study reports on findings derived from interviews conducted with 30 entrepreneurs and small business owners in four countries: India, South Africa, Russia, and Thailand. Companies were positioned at key points along the supply chain, including design, manufacturing, as well as small retailers. Five factors were identified as critical for successful apparel-related entrepreneurs and small businesses: relationship-building, niche identification, resourcefulness, community engagement, and global awareness. Findings suggest that entrepreneurship and small-business-related education within apparel programmes should focus on developing students’ entrepreneurial competency relative to these factors. Moreover, findings suggest that students would likely benefit from entrepreneurship education designed specifically to address the global apparel industry context.

Codes of Fair Competition: The National Recovery Act, 1933-1935, and the Women’s Dress Manufacturing Industry

Controversial issues prevalent in today’s ready-to-wear apparel industry include the right of workers to join unions, the proliferation of sweatshops and sweatshop conditions, and design piracy. The idea of forming codes of conduct to establish criteria of ethical business practices is not new to the apparel industry. Indeed, the women’s dress manufacturing industry discussed and debated codes of fair competition under the New Deal Policies of the National Recovery Act (NRA) of 1933 to 1935. Primary sources for this study included governmental hearings in the establishment of the NRA Dress Code, The New York Times, Women’s Wear Daily, and the Journal of the Patent Office Society. The history of the NRA codes implemented in the U.S. women’s ready-to-wear apparel industry provides an important case study highlighting the difficulties and complexities of creating and achieving industry-wide standard practices through self-regulation. The failure of the NRA demonstrates that even with the joint cooperation of industry, labor, and consumer groups and the backing of the force of law, codes of fair competition proved impossible to enforce.

Meaning and Symbolism in Bridal Costumes in Western Saudi Arabia

The western region of Saudi Arabia has its own unique traditional bridal garments. Little is known about these bridal costumes because they are handmade by a few families in the region. The purpose of this study was to investigate the history, significance, and meaning of the Hijazi bridal costumes. Symbolic interactionism was the theoretical starting point of this study. Qualitative data were collected via in-depth interviews from 22 married Saudi women. A purposive, snowball sampling strategy was used. The data were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman process. Four key themes emerged including (a) physical appearance and process of wearing the costumes, (b) meanings and beliefs related to the costumes’ components, (c) appropriate occasions during which the costumes could be worn, and (d) motivation negotiated within families. The Hijazi bridal costumes have deep historical roots in Saudi culture, which continues to play a significant role in today’s marriage rituals.