akhilesh dubey
183

In recent decades innovation has become an indispensable element for firms wishing to be competitive, and it has undoubtedly become increasingly important for organizations to understand how to stimulate the creative potential of their workforce.

Indeed, there is consensus that creativity is a key aspect for guaranteeing success in the innovation process. Some have even argued that it is creativity, rather than innovation, that is the true source of competitive advantage for organizations, as it is the basis of their innovative potential. Consequently, employee creativity is a significant treasure trove of innovation, so firms are increasingly attempting to promote individual creativity in order to be competitive.

But in spite of the evident importance of employees' creative contributions, research on the factors influencing creativity in labour environments is still at an early stage, although it is true that in recent years significant advances have been made on the question. Specifically, for any individual to be creative we must bear in mind, among others, aspects to do with their immediate environment, in other words, with their work group, a particularly important issue that has not been sufficiently examined in the literature. Thus, although the generation of creative ideas can at times be a solitary activity, it is increasingly the case that employees work in teams, and individual creativity is often enacted within teams where individual creative contributions may be considered as a significant input to the team's creative outcome. This implies that the team context plays a critical role in stimulating team creativity.

As a consequence, not only to identify creative employees is critical in order to enhance creativity in organizations, but foremost to understand the way in which the team context affects the creativity of diverse individuals, mainly with the analysis of the dynamic interactions among the team mates. So, the members of the work group to which the individuals belong – both the supervisor and the other group members – will normally influence their creativity.

From India, Indore
akhilesh dubey
183

Creativity

Creativity is a complex and diffuse construct that has been defined in various ways. Thus, creativity can be identified with the specific characteristics of products, people, thought processes or of the situation in which it takes place.

No matter how creative a firm may be, if the ideas are generated but never evaluated or converted to new products or services, they are merely interesting artefacts or even an illusion. Value is generated by taking a creative new idea and moving it through a series of stages to produce a new product or service or business model and launch that new thing into the market.

So, creativity is an ingredient for innovation, with the difference that this latter comprises commercialization, and implies the successful implementation of creative ideas. That is, creative ideas provide a basis for innovation emergence, but for innovation being successfully implemented, it is necessary to have in place or to obtain a wide range of necessary resources, not only political or financial ones, but also emotional support, and commitment. Therefore, creativity is linked to innovation, and is a major forerunner of innovation, but they are different concepts.

From India, Indore
akhilesh dubey
183

Fostering creativity
Bearing in mind the challenges that organizations are facing today, to foster creativity is one the strategic requirements for success in the long term. So, the confirmation of these relations stresses the importance of an adequate composition of work groups if firms are to obtain superior creativity from their employees, thanks to a good relationship of collaboration and mutual support between the members.
Consequently, managers should be fully aware of the fact that the quality of their exchanges may bring about many positive but also negative effects in individuals that will influence all their activities especially their performances. Therefore, leaders have to play an active role in encouraging and supporting the adequate interactions amongst their subordinates in the drive to nurture creative efforts.
The authors are María F. Muñoz-Doyague and Mariano Nieto.
courtesy: emerald management first

From India, Indore
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