Thematic Ideation – Antecedents and Consequences of Individuals’ Thematic Similarity Recognition

Work on thematic thinking, an individual's preference for basing decisions and cognitive processes on thematic similarity, has been developed recently. These preferences also build the basis for idea generation (thematic ideation) and evaluation processes. Research results indicate that there are inter‐individual differences in these preferences. We apply these findings from the field of cognition to the business context and theoretically develop and empirically test a set of antecedents and consequences of thematic thinking. Results indicate that experience and positive affect are positively related to thematic thinking. The consequences that were examined, adaptation and creativity, showed relations which were reverse to the ones hypothesized based on related prior literature. Counter‐intuitively, adaptation is positively related to thematic thinking, while creativity is negatively related. We discuss theoretical and managerial implications and highlight avenues for future research on thematic thinking.     

Individual Creativity during the Ideation Phase of Product Innovation: An Interactional Perspective

Although there is increasing acknowledgement that employees' creative ideas are fundamental for product innovation, and many companies use cross‐functional teams to increase employee creativity, there has been little empirical testing of how individual personality and group context interactively affect individual creativity. The purpose of this study is threefold: to examine the relationship between personality and individual creativity; to assess how this relationship interacts with group diversity; and to determine whether the interaction effects between personality traits and gender diversity are mediated by individual knowledge sharing. The results of an experiment based on a sample of 142 working adults show that openness to experience and extraversion are positively related to individual creativity, whereas neuroticism and conscientiousness are negatively related to individual creativity. Furthermore, the impacts of openness to experience and extraversion on individual creativity, respectively, are moderated by both functional diversity and gender diversity. In addition, these interaction effects are mediated by individual knowledge sharing. Interestingly, this study also finds that the direction of functional diversity's moderating effects depends on the level of group diversity.     

Attention! Cosmopolitans ahead – They may not be as creative as they think!

Research on cosmopolitanism and creativity has received significant attention in recent years; however, the connections between these constructs are still ill‐defined. This study uses the creative cognition model to explore the relationship between cosmopolitanism and creativity using both self‐report and expert ratings of a qualitative task. Quantitative data support the assertion that cosmopolitanism is significantly and positively related to self‐expectations of creativity and creative work involvement. However, creative performance on a productive solutions task coded by creativity experts failed to replicate the self‐reported findings. We describe the practical and theoretical implications of these results for future research into cosmopolitanism and creativity.     

Employee Goal Orientation,Work Unit Goal Orientation and Employee Creativity

For employee creativity to occur, organizations must build a context conducive to creativity, in addition to identifying employees with creative potential. Complementing and extending earlier research, we develop and test a cross‐level model about how work unit goal orientation might relate to employee creativity. We also theorize and examine the mediating role of employee information elaboration linking work unit goal orientation and employee creativity. We conduct a questionnaire survey based on multi‐source data from 340 employees comprising 53 teams in eight Taiwanese organizations. The results indicate that the work unit goal orientation is positively, whereas the work unit performance‐avoidance orientation is negatively, related to employee creativity through employee information elaboration. Furthermore, work unit goal orientation also plays a cross‐level moderating role: the positive relationship between individual‐level learning orientation and information elaboration is stronger when work unit learning orientation is higher, but weaker when work unit avoidance orientation is higher.     

A vision-oriented approach for innovative product design

Nowadays, business globalization, complex consumer requirements, and high technology development have led to vigorous business competition and market uncertainty. In new product design, it is increasingly important to put more emphasis on innovative concerns than quality and speed of production. Providing unique, innovative and value-added products becomes a crucial strategy for success. This study aims to develop a new product design process that concentrates on radical innovations. Visioning thinking, TRIZ, Image Scale, and Morphological Analysis are integrated for developing designs with a balance of rational/logical analyses and intuitive/creative thinking. The proposed process fulfills the need for radical innovation through enriching heuristic thinking. It is a useful methodology that adds value to products in terms of technological functions, form perceptions, and holistic usability. A proposal of therapy bike design for cerebral palsy children is demonstrated using the new process. Through case demonstration, designers could enhance products with human-centered values while coping with market uncertainty effectively. The applicability of the vision-oriented approach for innovative product design is verified.     

Psychological capital and self‐reported employee creativity: The moderating role of supervisor support and job characteristics

Although the positive effect of psychological capital (PsyCap) on employee performance is well documented, the conditions under which PsyCap exerts the most influence on creativity warrant further research. Complementing and extending prior studies, we theorize and examine how two critical contextual factors (supervisor support for creativity [SSC] and job characteristics) effectively activate PsyCap associated with self‐reported employee creativity. Drawing on an interactional perspective, we use trait activation theory to examine the moderating effects of SSC and job characteristics on the relationship between PsyCap and self‐reported employee creativity. Through rigorous hypotheses testing (N = 356 individuals from multiple industries in Chinese firms), our results demonstrate that both SSC and job characteristics positively moderate the PsyCap–creativity relationship. Additional analyses reveal that PsyCap is most effective at enhancing creativity when both SSC and job characteristics are high. Implications of these findings for theory, future research and practice are discussed.     

Creativity of student information system projects: From the perspective of network embeddedness

Many companies have pursued innovation to obtain a competitive edge. Thus, educational reform focuses mainly on training creative students. This study adopted the concept of an affiliated network of projects to investigate how project embeddedness influences project team creativity. This work surveys 60 projects in a Management Information Systems Department of a University. Validity of the specific study hypotheses is tested by using moderate hierarchical regression analysis to determine how project embeddedness affects project team creativity and assess how the team innovation climate moderates the relationships between project embeddedness and project team creativity. Analytical results indicate a positive association between structural embeddedness and project team creativity, a negative relationship between positional embeddedness and project team creativity, and a positive influence of team innovation climate on the relationships between network embeddedness and project team creativity. An attempt is also made to understand the role of positional embeddedness by classifying the interactions based on the content of interactions. According to those results, positional embeddedness is positively related to project team creativity during problem–identification interaction; during solution–design interaction, positional embeddedness is negatively related to project team creativity. Results of this study explain the phenomena of divergent thinking and convergent thinking during creative development.     

Organizational Antecedents of Creative Self‐Efficacy

A number of studies have documented a relationship between creative self‐efficacy and creative performance. The main aim of the present study was to investigate organizational factors that may influence such creative self‐efficacy. The examined variables included employees' task type and task autonomy, the quality of relationship between supervisors and subordinates (leader–member exchange [LMX]), as well as perceived levels of collegial support for creativity. The sample included 240 employees in a manufacturing company. The hypotheses were tested using partial least squares analysis. Results showed significant and positive relationships between the study variables and creative self‐efficacy, supporting the hypotheses. Furthermore, the combinations of task autonomy and high‐quality LMX, as well as task autonomy and collegial support for creativity, were positively associated with creative self‐efficacy. The results of this study may give guidance to leaders and consultants who want to enhance the creativity levels of employees through organizational development efforts.     

Artificial intelligence capability: Conceptualization,measurement calibration,and empirical study on its impact on organizational creativity and firm performance

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been heralded by many as the next source of business value. Grounded on the resource-based theory of the firm and on recent work on AI at the organizational context, this study (1) identifies the AI-specific resources that jointly create an AI capability and provides a definition, (2) develops an instrument to capture the AI capability of the firms, and (3) examines the relationship between an AI capability and organizational creativity and performance. Findings empirically support the suggested theoretical framework and corresponding instrument and provide evidence that an AI capability results in increased organizational creativity and performance.     

Do e-business strategies matter? The antecedents and relationship with firm performance

Previous studies in e-business strategy focus on the issues of strategic positioning and its impact on firm performance. However, these studies do not address the antecedents to business strategies formulation and their impact on business performance or the role of business models in explaining e-business firm performance. This study applies Porter’s generic strategies to the e-business context. It also identifies business models that are applied to the e-business environment and environmental factors and then examines these factors influence on firm performance with survey data. This study finds that uncertainty has a negative impact on the choice of strategic position of e-business firms, whereas market turbulence positively affects the level of adoption of all the strategies. Among the strategic positions, marketing differentiation positively influences firm performance. The research methodology, test results, and implications are further discussed.     

Does a Creative Designer Necessarily Translate into the Creative Design of a Product? Exploring Factors Facilitating the Creativity of a New Product

Product creativity is a rarely studied topic in the area of new product development; nevertheless, its importance has been recognized by many researchers in a variety of fields. In this research, two studies were conducted: the first was quantitative and the second was qualitative. These studies examined the relationships among five variables: analogical thinking ability, creative self‐efficacy, length of experience, team climate for creativity and product creativity. The results of a multiple regression indicated that analogical thinking ability is an antecedent of design creativity, and that creative self‐efficacy is a mediator between them. The results also showed that length of experience and team climate for creativity have significant moderating effects. These findings indicate that both person‐based (i.e., ability, self‐efficacy and length of experience) and situation‐based (team climate) variables are key factors in developing the creative design of a new product.     

Why is Your Team More Creative Than Mine? The Influence of Shared Mental Models on Intra‐group Conflict,Team Creativity and Effectiveness

In competitive and dynamic contexts team members need to be creative to ensure that teams achieve high levels of performance and feel satisfied with their work. At the same time, team members need to have a shared understanding regarding relevant aspects related to task accomplishment and team interaction. In this study we investigate the mediating mechanisms of intra‐group conflict and creativity in the relationship between shared mental models and team effectiveness (team performance and satisfaction). We tested our model in a sample of 161 teams (735 individuals) performing in a management simulation. We collected data at three time points. Our results suggest that high shared mental models are related to low levels of intra‐group conflict, foster creativity, and in turn improve team performance and satisfaction. These findings contribute to a scarce thematic – the relationship between shared mental models and creativity – emphasizing the importance of a shared understanding for creativity and team effectiveness.     

产品色彩智能设计中的复合思维研究*

为了阐明设计创新规律,完善设计理论和思维科学,发展智能设计技术以及提升人类创造力,以设计思维的模拟研究为对象,在研究了色彩设计思维过程、单一思维模型、多种思维的交互作用与转换机制、复合思维模型等知识的基础上,探讨了复合思维研究的关键技术和研究方法,建立了复合思维模型和体系,为产品色彩智能设计研究奠定了智能理论的基础。     

Linking business and requirements engineering: is solution planning a missing activity in software product companies?

A strong link between strategy and product development is important, since companies need to select requirements for forthcoming releases. However, in practice, connecting requirements engineering (RE) and business planning is far from trivial. This paper describes the lessons learned from four software product companies that have recognized the need for more business-oriented long-term planning. The study was conducted using the action research approach. We identified five practices that seem to strengthen the link between business decisions and RE. These are (1) explicating the planning levels and time horizons; (2) separating the planning of products’ business goals from R&D resource allocation; (3) planning open-endedly with a pre-defined rhythm; (4) emphasizing whole-product thinking; and (5) making solution planning visible. To support whole-product thinking and solution planning, we suggest that companies create solution concepts. The purpose of the solution concept is to provide a big picture of the solution and guide RE activities.     

Do Intelligent Leaders Make a Difference? The Effect of a Leader's Emotional Intelligence on Followers' Creativity

This research investigates the connection between emotional intelligence (EI) and creativity. This was studied by exploring: (i) an association between leaders' EI and their followers' creative output; (ii) an association between six sub‐dimensions of EI and creativity; and (iii) a mediating role of climate in the link between EI and creativity. Two questionnaires (one for leaders and one for employees) were used to collect data in a hospital. Sixty‐six usable leader‐employee dyads were collected. The findings confirmed a positive relationship between leaders' EI and employees' creativity. At an EI's sub‐dimensions level, the current research showed an association between creativity, on one hand, and self‐encouragement and understanding of own emotions, on the other. Finally, no mediating effect of climate was observed. The absence of a mediating effect is interesting, since it suggests a direct link between leaders' EI and employees' creativity, regardless of the climate. This is important, since it calls attention to the paramount role of leaders in shaping individual and organizational behaviours as far as creativity is concerned. The paper also discusses implications for management and practice.     

Boosting the confidence of new product development teams: The role of team boundary spanning,team size and functional diversity

In today's highly interconnected, uncertain and dynamic business environment, team boundary spanning has become an important determinant of the performance of new product development (NPD) projects. Despite the positive evidence supporting the use of boundary spanning activities by NPD teams, little is still known about how boundary spanning teams become high-performance teams. The current study advances research on this subject by examining the mediating effect of team potency on the relationship between team boundary spanning and new product performance, as well as the moderating effects of team size and functional diversity on the relationship between team boundary spanning and team potency. Data from a time-lagged survey study of 140 NPD projects found that team boundary spanning can promote team potency that, in turn, results in greater new product quality and new product creativity. The positive effect of team boundary spanning on team potency was found to be more pronounced for NPD teams of medium size and high levels of functional diversity.     

Organizational Variables for Developing Collective Creativity in Business: A Case from an Italian Fashion Design Company

The goal of this article is to propose a theoretical framework for collective creativity within an organizational design perspective and to help clarify this concept and how collective creativity can be purposefully managed. In particular, this study identifies relevant organizational variables for enhancing collective creativity and examines the relationship between collective creativity and organizational performance. The research draws upon a survey developed in the context of an in‐depth collaborative research study with an Italian fashion design company. As the theory on collective creativity is quite dispersed, the first part of the article attempts to define collective creativity and integrate different theoretical perspectives. Then, method and empirical findings are described. In the last part, the discussion illustrates why it is important for researchers and practitioners to be aware of the concept of collective creativity and its purposeful management.     

A framework for designing the balanced supply chain scorecard

Effective measurements of Supply Chain Management (SCM) in the context of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) have become more important. In the existing SCM performance studies, there are three limitations. First, the SCM measures are not reconciled with the BSC. Second, SCM measures have not comprehensively considered the goals that can be achieved by SCM strategies and solutions. Third, the measures have not identified the characteristics of industry, product, and production strategy. In this paper, we propose a framework for the Balanced Supply Chain Scorecard that considers the literature on the BSC and SCM, SCM solutions, and product characteristics. We analyze the causal relationships between the SCM solutions and product characteristics against measures. The identified relationship between the measures and SCM solutions can be used to evaluate the impact of SCM solutions. Using a case study, we find that the importance of measures significantly depends on the product characteristics. This study can be used to expand the BSC into the area of Strategic Enterprise Management systems, thus to relate performance measures to business activities.     

Making the most out of the innovation of meaning: The importance of inclusion for creativity in inside-out envisioning

Innovation of meaning (IoM) is one of the streams that has attracted attention in design thinking research. Inside-out envisioning aims to assist non-designer employees practice IoM in a similar manner to how visionary executives and designers perform. The process starts with exposing their intrinsic visions to innovate the dominant social or organizational meanings. This makes the employees' creativity that comes from intrinsic goals and values an important driving force of inside-out envisioning. Thus, it is crucial to foster an organizational culture that encourages employees to engage in inside-out envisioning and enhance their creativity. This study explores whether inclusion, as an organizational culture, is an antecedent of creativity in inside-out envisioning. Inclusion refers to a state in which an individual's uniqueness is valued by other group members and externalized to improve group performance. Based on data from a survey conducted with 1104 Japanese employees, this study reveals that inclusion significantly impacts creativity in inside-out envisioning. A multigroup analysis demonstrates differences in the effects of the mediating variables of this relationship based on the successful experience of inside-out envisioning. This study concludes that it is important for design thinking researchers to study inclusion more deeply as a way to implement inside-out envisioning.     

A Social Network Perspective of Lead Users and Creativity: An Empirical Study among Children

Generating ideas at the ‘fuzzy front end’ of new product development is risky and has serious consequences for all preceding development stages. One of the currently most prominent techniques in supporting this idea‐generation stage is the lead user approach. Involving lead users in idea generation closely correlates to individual creativity, and both, in turn, to the provision of information in social networks. This study, guided by lead user theory, creativity research and network theory, investigates 16 school‐groups of children examining the relationship between the children's social networks and their resulting creativity and lead userness. In addition, the interplay between lead userness and creativity is discussed and empirically tested. The main result of this study is that children who are positioned as bridging links between different groups in social networks reveal both a high degree of lead userness and a high level of creativity.