Climate for Creativity in Organizations
Scenario I. Informal Breakfast Discussion
The two positive attributes of workplace environment in this scenario are team building and brainstorming sessions. Each of these attributes has a direct role in impacting the success of the firm. According to Half (2017), organizations that create a culture of team building enhance creativity as employees share and exchange ideas. Additionally, brainstorming make employees to come up with new ideas when they brainstorm the challenges in the firm.
In this scenario, suspending programs that contribute to welfare of employees and making decisions without consulting or involving employees will kill the innovation culture. Leaders are not meant to command employees. They are only expected to influence change (Serra, 2009). A decision to suspend brainstorming sessions will attract resistance, considering that this is what they have adapted.
Negative attributes emerged in this scenario through the company management prioritizing the welfare of the firm at the expense of employees. Employees are the backbone of the firm. Nothing should interfere with their welfare. The GM wanted to suspend brainstorming activities to allow employees to work extra hard. The decision is not justified because employees are the ones responsible for implementing the mission and vision of the firm.
Scenario II. E-Mail Exchange
The two positive attributes in this scenario are training and involving employees in the decision making process. Training programs expose employees to new ideas. The manager does not have to carry the responsibility of innovating. Edinger (2012) explain that good business leaders do not innovate. Instead, they create a culture of innovation by empowering employees.
Lack of funding to empower the human resource department and ignoring the issues affecting employees are the major issues that undermine innovation culture in this scenario. The HR department requires enough funds to plan for the welfare of the firm.
The GM saw training programs as expensive and they do not serve the interests of the firm. He thought that funding training programs is a liability. This decision is not good because the firm succeeds when its employees prosper (Amabile, 2009).
Scenario III. Formal Company Meeting
Involving employees in decision-making process and recruiting based on skills required are the two attributes of a creative culture in this scenario. Firms that empower employees to participate in decisions at the management level face little resistance. Employees will support decisions of the firm because they know that they participated in coming up with the solutions to the problem (Amabile & Khaire, 2008).
Poor recruitment and hiring processes are a limitation to innovative culture. Firms are likely to attract low-skilled employees and spend a lot of resources training them to be skilled (Jouret, 2018). Another element that undermines creativity is poor planning. Lack of strategic planning implies that the employees do not know why the firm exists.
In this scenario, the operations lead manager was biased against the new program. He thought that recruitment programs will interfere with the traditions of the firm.
Reflection Section
Personal initiatives help managers and business leaders create an environment for innovation culture. In the first scenario, the GM should have influential leadership qualities. He should not force people to meet the deadlines, but should create an environment for change to take place. In the second scenario, it seems the manager does not understand creativity. He should understand creativity before transferring the knowledge and skills to subordinates (Carucci, 2017). The personal initiative in the third scenario is the ability of the leader to strike a balance between commerce and creativity. Creativity has long-term benefits, and it is only the person that understands its potential benefits that can support it.
Organizational initiatives help managers streamline the operations with the goal of the business. In the first scenario, proper definition of creativity could have helped alleviate the negative attributes. In the second scenario, the organization could have stipulated the amount that goes to creativity programs. For the third scenario, the firm could have taken over the responsibility of inviting guest speakers without burdening the managers with the responsibilities.
References
- Amabile, T., M. (2006). How to kill creativity. Harvard Business Review.
Amabile, T. & Khaire, M. (2008). Creativity and the role of the leader. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr. org/2008/10/creativity-and-the-role-of-the-leader
Carucci, R. (2017). How to nourish your team’s creativity. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr. org/2017/05/how-to-nourish-your-teams-creativity
Edinger, S. (2012). Don’t innovate. Create a culture of innovation. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www. forbes. com/sites/scottedinger/2012/11/20/dont-innovate-create-a-culture-of-innovation/#2c5e65713aa0
- Half, R. (2017). Seven ways to create a highly creative work environment. Robert Half. Retrieved from https://www. roberthalf. co. uk/advice/corporate-culture/7-ways-create-highly-creative-work-environment
- Kalyami, M. (2011). Innovative culture: An intervention strategy for
sustainable growth in changing scenario. International Journal of Business Administration, 2 (4). Retrieved from http://www. sciedu. ca/journal/index. php/ijba/article/viewFile/563/271 - Jouret, G. (2018). Inside Cisco’s search for the next big idea. Harvard Business Review.
- Serrat, O. (2009). Harnessing creativity and innovation in the workplace. Asian Development Bank. Retrieved from https://www. adb. org/sites/default/files/publication/27596/harnessing-creativity-and-innovation-workplace. pdf
