Project "Creativity and Innovation"

Project “Creativity and Innovation” Overview: • There is a deep and wide field of research about the relationship between creativity, motivation, and the work environment of technical personnel. Examples of this research include the following articles (See PDFs): - Kratzer, J., Leenders, R., & Vanengelen, J. (2008). The social structure of leadership and creativity in engineering design teams: An empirical analysis. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 25(4), 269–286 - Cavalieri, S., & Pezzotta, G. (2012). Product–service systems engineering: State of the art and research challenges. Computers in Industry, 63(4), 278–288 - Kobe, C., & Goller, I. (2009). Assessment of product engineering creativity. Creativity and Innovation Management, 18(2), 132–140 • Babock and Morse define characteristics of creative persons (See PDF) Format/Content Requirements: • APA 7th Edition Format • Double Spaced • Size 12 Font • Times New Roman Font • Maximum of 5 pages of content. This does not include a cover page or reference page(s) Project Requirements/Tasks: Deliverable Part 1: For each of the research articles provided, list and explain the motivators or modifiers of creativity that could exist in a technical environment. • Motivator Definition: A thing that links to variables. - Example: Quality of sleep (the independent variable) can affect academic achievement (the dependent variable) through situational awareness. • Modifier Definition: A variable that affects the direction and/or strength of a relationship. Usually, the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable. - Example: Late-night partying can moderate the relationship between the quality of a night's sleep and academic achievement. Deliverable Part 2: I am going to provide you with a scenario and then give you 3 tasks. • Scenario: You are the new manager of technicians, engineers, and scientists that are embedded in the Research and Development (R&D) department located in a single secured location of a large world-wide technical business. The business researches, designs, manufactures, markets, and sells world-wide, a wide range of information technology products. The last manager was fired due to low output of innovations from that department. Upper management desires to increase marketable innovations for the business and your boss needs to present a plan. She has come to you for a strategy to increase innovations coming out of your department. From your readings you know there is a connection (cause and effect) between creativity and innovation. Therefore, you have decided to focus on creativity as the primary driver for developing an environment of innovation in your department. • The 3 Tasks: - Task 1: Present a list of ideas as to how you would design, organize, and manage your department to maximize employee creativity and therefore innovation output. - Task 2: Because you will need upper management champions to support and fund your ideas, you must explain why each is related to creativity. Remember what Drucker noted: “If an innovation does not aim at leadership from the beginning, it is unlikely to be innovation enough.” - Task 3: Use and cite other sources (minimum of 3 additional sources) and references as required to build a compelling and strong case that would convert upper management into sponsors for your ideas to increase innovation.