Managing Creativity in Organizations: A Total System Approach

• Main Author: TAN, Gilbert
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 1998
• Subjects: Creativity; Systems Approach; Organizational Behavior and Theory
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/2686; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/3685/viewcontent/ManagingCreativityOrgn_TotalSys_1998.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Organizations need creativity to adapt to the fast-changing environment and revitalize itself. In response to this need, managers have invested in various single approaches, such as, creativity training programmes, team-building, and leadership development to improve creativity. This paper argues that managing creativity in organization is a complex problem and thus requires a more integrated approach. In this paper, I have provided a theoretical framework to explain how managers can foster and sustain creativity in their organizations using a total systems approach. In the framework, I depict the organization as having four subsystems, namely, culture, techno-structural subsystems, management and people. Each subsystem will create unique barriers to creativity. The framework identifies three types of interventions (cultural, organization and design, and training development) that can help develop the ingredients of creativity (foundations, competencies, and support).