Self-Evaluation Application of Course Concepts: Research Proposal

H-creativity is the true goal of the organization, in order to be the most innovative literary agency in a very competitive industry.

S-creativity is an addition to Boden's (1990) theory.

Suwa, Gero, and Purcell, 2000 proposed a third possibility for creativity -- situated creativity. S-creativity occurs when an innovation happens that was unplanned for in the original design. Although these ideas may not be truly unique, their application in the specific situation is unique, giving them value. As an example, if an idea from another industry could be applied to our literary agency that had not been done before, this innovation would be highly valuable, helping set us apart from the competition.

Self-Evaluation:

Self-evaluation is an important task for any good leader. During this task, the leader can evaluate where they currently are, what is working for them and what is not. Currently, I have a fairly full plate with educational, professional and a personal responsibilities. This has caused me to be pulled in many different directions, which is often a challenge. This is especially true of time management issues. However, when it comes to the concepts that were the primary focus of this course, I feel that I've begun to take steps necessary to facilitate creativity, discovery and innovation.

My current strengths in these areas lie primarily in my knowledge of the concepts. I not only understand the concepts, but also have a full understanding as to why creativity, discovery and innovation are so important to organizations. Organizations have to continually innovate if they hope to stay competitive in whatever market and industry they are operating within. This doesn't simply mean product or service innovation, although this is important too, but innovations organizational wide need to occur to continue to have a competitive advantage. Innovations such as improved customer service, faster delivery times, minimizing inventories, and reducing costs are just some examples of how innovation must be a facet in every part of the organization.My ability to take the somewhat abstract concept of creativity and see its real world application in innovation is a strength that separates me from others who simply wait for innovation to happen, rather than nurturing it to grow.

My current primary weakness is not uncommon. My fear of failure is something that often restricts my creativity. I not only fear the repercussions of failure in my current position, but also do not personally like to fail. For this reason, I often will choose the safer solution to a challenge, rather than try out a riskier solution that may yield better results, if it were to work. Although logically I know that there is even value in failure, as a learning experience, between my human nature's desire to succeed and an upbringing that prided itself on success, and a professional environment that does not look lightly on failure, going truly beyond my comfort zone to really explore completely innovative solutions rarely happens.

References

Boden, M. (1990). The creative mind, myths and mechanisms. London: Abacus.

De Miranda, P., Aranha, J. & Zardo, J. (Aug 2009). Creativity, people, environment, and culture, the key elements in its understanding and interpretations. Science & Public Policy, 36(7). Retrieved October 20, 2009, from Academic Search Complete.

Gong, Y., Huang, J., & Farh, J. (Aug 2009). The mediating role of employee creative self-efficacy. Academy of Management Journal, 52(4). Retrieved October 20, 2009, from Business Source Complete.

Panday, S. & Sharma, R. (2009). Organizational factors for exploration and exploitation. Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, 4(1). Retrieved October 20, 2009, from Business Source Complete.

Suwa, M., Gero, J., & Purcell, T. (2000). Unexpected discoveries and s-inventions of design requirements. Design Studies, 21(6).….....