Executive Summary
The present paper summarises research perceptions on organisational creativity and innovation. In particular, the research reviews various models of organisational creativity and outlines the role of leadership and human resources development in fostering creativity. By applying the results of research to a case study, the paper provides a set of recommendations for the management, including implementing the componential model of creativity, using transformational leadership style, and promoting transparent communication and knowledge sharing.
Introduction
Creativity and innovation are widely considered to be the fundamental forces driving the success of contemporary businesses. The two concepts are commonly studied in research, which generally supports the influence of human resource management practices and leadership on organisational creativity and innovation. The research highlights that there are specific organisational variables that can hinder the development of creativity, such as lack of resources and autocratic leadership style, and poor communication (Woodman, Sawyer & Griffin 1993; Amabile et al. 1996). In addition, social barriers to creativity include poor communication, lack of group cohesiveness, and expectations for group conformity (Woodman, Sawyer & Griffin 1993). Therefore, it is critical for the management to understand the influence of various factors and practices on creativity in order to find out appropriate ways to promote it. The present paper will aim to review organisational creativity and innovation in the context of a maritime organisation. In addition, the study will also develop an understanding of the influence of leadership and human resource management practices on organisational creativity and innovation in order to provide a set of recommendations for the company’s management.
Analysis
The company in question is a maritime organisation that runs a fleet of ships traveling within the territorial waters. The organisation provides services to public and is committed to developing sustainability and promoting ideas for environmental protection. The workforce of the company is large and diverse, which can present both challenges and opportunities for the management. For instance, some of the negative consequences of diversity include discrimination, harassment, intergroup conflict, and increased turnover (Chrobot-Mason & Abramovich 2013). Nevertheless, when managed effectively, diverse workplaces offer numerous opportunities for developing creativity and innovation, which is essential for the company to succeed (Chrobot-Mason & Abramovich 2013; Parrotta, Pozzoli & Pytlikova 2014). The present section will provide an analysis of the key concepts and theories regarding organizational creativity.
Organisational Creativity Models
There is a variety of organisational creativity models that differ from one another in terms of their understanding of creativity and the factors affecting it. For instance, Amabile (1988) presents a model of individual creativity, arguing that there is a set of personal factors facilitating organisational creativity, including personality traits, self-motivation, cognitive abilities, risk-orientation, expertise, group qualities, diverse experience, social skills, brilliance, and naivete. A componential model by Amabile et al. (1996) builds on the individual creativity model to introduce organisational factors impacting creativity, such as organisational encouragement, supervisory encouragement, work group supports, sufficient resources, challenging work, and freedom. The authors also identify barriers to creativity, including organisational impediments and workload pressure (Amabile et al. 1996). This model is more useful for companies, as it provides a strategy for promoting creativity and takes the whole variety of factors influencing it into account.
Another model that is commonly applied to creativity in organisations is the interactionist model of creative behaviour, developed by Woodman and Schenfeldt (1990). In this model, creativity is perceived to be a result of an interaction between the person and the situation (Woodman & Shcenfeldt 1990). This model was further developed by Woodman, Sawyer, and Griffin (1993) to provide an interactional framework for organisational creativity. For instance, the authors propose that organisations focus on developing communication, using organic organisational designs, providing sufficient resources, fostering a participative culture, promoting diversity, and supporting risk-taking behaviours (Woodman, Sawyer & Griffin 1993). This model offers a practical approach that could assist in developing a positive organisational climate, thus influencing workforce outcomes beyond innovation (Pörzse et al. 2012; ĂekmecelioÄlu & GĂŒnsel 2013; Sokol et al. 2015).
The investment model of creativity was proposed by Sternberg and Lubart (1992). According to Sternberg and Lubart (1992), the capacity for creativity relies on six resources, including person-centered (personality, intelligence, knowledge, motivation, and intellectual style) and context-centered (the environment). The model proved to be applicable to contemporary business settings, which makes it useful in the chosen case (Zhang & Sternberg 2011).
Creative Leadership
Creative leadership is understood as the leaderâs ability to think and act creatively in different situations. In the context of organisational creativity, particular attention has been paid to transformational leadership style, which is considered to be effective in encouraging innovation (Lutz Allen, Smith & Da Silva 2013; Kim & Yoon 2015; Isaksen 2007). However, a study by Waite (2014) also found that servant leadership was connected to innovation and sustainability in organisations. Another way in which creative leadership can help to promote creativity and innovation is knowledge sharing. Knowledge sharing practices are widely linked to increased innovation and creativity (Yu, Yu & Yu 2013; Loewenberger, Newton & Wick 2014; Carmeli, Gelbard & Roiter-Palmon 2013). Knowledge-sharing fits into the interactional model proposed by Woodman, Sawyer, and Griffin (1993), as it helps to encourage transparency and enhance communication within the workplace.
Creative Human Resource Management and Development
Developing creativity and innovation is among the key challenges of human resource management in todayâs business environment (Stone & Deadrick 2015). To pursue a successful strategy of developing creativity, it is essential for managers to use a resource-based view of human resources, perceiving them as assets contributing to innovation (Joo, McLean & Yang 2013). Thus, human resource development becomes essential in promoting creativity, as it assists in developing workforce skills and characteristics that contribute to organisational innovation. There are multiple human resource management practices that are helpful in encouraging creativity, which include promoting a learning culture, employee engagement, employee motivation, team cohesiveness, collaboration, and skill development (Loewenberger 2016; Zhou, Hong & Liu 2013; Sheenan, Garavan & Carbery 2014; Park et al. 2014; Loewenberger 2013).
Conclusions
Overall, the analysis showed that there are multiple approaches to promoting organisational creativity. However, there were also significant overlaps among the theory, which allowed drawing conclusions from the research. For instance, as evident from the analysis of creativity models, most researchers perceive creativity as a combination of personal and organisational qualities. Therefore, while it is important for managers to pursue strategies for improving creativity, it is also useful to focus on workers that are inherently creative when making recruitment and promotion choices. In addition, the research outlined some common barriers to creativity, such as workload, inadequate resources, poor communication, and impaired workplace climate. Focusing on overcoming these barriers is essential to the implementation of a successful creativity strategy. The research also described the effects of leadership practices, including transformational leadership and knowledge sharing, on the development of creativity. Finally, the role of human resource development in fostering organisational creativity was also discussed.
Recommendations
All of the models discussed in the present paper can be used to improve creativity and innovation in the company. Nevertheless, the componential model of creativity proposed by Amabile et al. (1996) would be preferable, as it assists in influencing creativity on different levels, including organisational, supervisory, and group. Given the size and the multi-level structure of the organisation, this model would be rather easy to apply and will aid in enhancing organisational creativity.
In addition, it is essential to ensure appropriate leadership practices throughout the organisation. Supervisors, team leaders, and managers should receive training in transformational leadership, as it can assist in fostering positive organisational climate and developing creativity (Allen, Smith & Da Silva 2013; Kim & Yoon 2015; Isaken 2007). Continuous training of employees and leaders should be among the top priorities of the company because it ensures that the workforce has sufficient skills and knowledge while also creating a culture of learning and encouraging creative behaviours.
Establishing transparent communication and ensuring opportunities for knowledge-sharing would also be useful in developing organisational creativity (Woodman, Sawyer & Griffin 1993; Park et al. 2014). Moreover, the organisation should consider possible barriers to organisational creativity and innovation that exist in the company. For example, it is essential to make sure that the employees have adequate workload and sufficient resources to complete their tasks, as these are some of the common barriers to creativity (Amabile et al. 1996; Woodman, Sawyer & Griffin 1993). Overall, using these recommendations, the company will be able to improve organisational climate, enhance workforce characteristics, and promote creativity and innovation. In the long term, these steps could make human resources a significant competitive advantage of the company, making it more productive and profitable.
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