Creative problem-solving techniques, paradigm shift and team performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 451-466
Author(s):  
Tony Proctor
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Team Performance ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Thinking Styles ◽  
Team Composition ◽  
Creative Problem Solving ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Creative Problem

Purpose This paper aims to consider why creative problem-solving techniques may not always produce useful results and sets out to explain why this might be and what steps should be taken to avoid it happening. The paper provides an understanding of how different creative problem-solving techniques are best suited to gaining insights into problems requiring different degrees of paradigm shift. It argues that team members’ personalities and thinking styles and team composition should be taken into account when using the techniques. It examines the role the facilitator plays in planning and conducting the ideation process. Design/methodology/approach The paper provides simple illustrations of some of the creative problem-solving techniques. It reviews relevant literature and argues how individual differences of team members along with team composition can influence team performance in using the creative problem-solving techniques. Findings Personality, thinking styles and learning styles are relevant to the effective use of creative problem-solving techniques. Team composition, team motivation and mood factors should also be taken into account. The facilitator is key in ensuring the efficacy of the problem-solving process. Originality/value This paper will be helpful to academics who study creative problem-solving as well as informing management practitioners and trainers about the procedures and potential pitfalls to avoid.

Key factors that improve knowledge-intensive business processes which lead to competitive advantage

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 126-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Selena Aureli ◽  
Daniele Giampaoli ◽  
Massimo Ciambotti ◽  
Nick Bontis
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Direct Impact ◽  
Creative Problem Solving ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Creative Problem ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Problem Solving Process ◽  
Positive Direct

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically test the knowledge-intensive process of creative problem-solving and its outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses survey data from 113 leading Italian companies. To test the structural relations of the research model the authors used the partial least square (PLS) method.FindingsResults show that work design and training have a positive direct impact on creative problem-solving process while organizational culture has a positive impact on both creative problem-solving process and its outcomes. Finally creative problem-solving process has a strong direct impact on its outcomes and this, in turn, on firms’ competitiveness.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that managers must highlight the problem-solving process as it affects a firm’s capability to find creative solutions and therefore its competitiveness. Moreover, the present paper suggests managers should invest in specific knowledge management (KM) practices for enhancing knowledge-intensive business processes.Originality/valueThe present paper fills an important gap in the BPM literature by empirically testing the relationship among KM practices, multistage processes of creative problem-solving and their outcomes, and firms’ competitiveness.

Solving the problem?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
Creative Problem Solving ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Creative Problem ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This article explores creative problem-solving, outlines its limitations, and suggests that the main key to effective creative problem solving is using an independent facilitator. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Individuals' psychosocial voice barriers in lean problem-solving teams

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Abdul Latif ◽  
Jan Vang ◽  
Rebeca Sultana
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Team Performance ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Employee Voice ◽  
Role Perception ◽  
Voice Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Problem Solving Teams ◽  
Prosocial Voice

PurposeVoice role identification and the psychosocial voice barriers represented by implicit voice theories (IVTs) affect lean team members' prosocial voice behavior and thereby lean team performance. This paper investigates how role definition and IVTs influence individual lean team-members' prosocial voice behavior during lean implementation.Design/methodology/approachThis research was conducted in four case readymade garment (RMG) factories in Bangladesh following a mixed-method research approach dominated by a qualitative research methodology. Under the mixed-method design, this research followed multiple research strategies, including intervention-based action research and case studies.FindingsThe findings suggest that voice role perception affects the voice behavior of the individual lean team members. The findings also demonstrate that voice role definition significantly influences individually held implicit voice beliefs in lean teams.Research limitations/implicationsThis research was conducted in four sewing lines in four RMG factories in Bangladesh. There is a need for a cross-sector and cross-country large-scale study that follows the quantitative research methods in different contexts.Practical implicationsThis research contributes to the operations management literature, especially in lean manufacturing, by presenting the difficulties of mobilizing employee voice in lean problem-solving teams. This work provides new knowledge to managers to address challenges and opportunities to ensure decent work and to improve productivity.Originality/valueThis research raises a key issue of employee voice and its influence on lean performance which addresses two critical areas of employee voice behavior in lean teams: team-members' voice role perception and implicit voice beliefs that influence their voice behavior in the workplace, thereby influencing team performance.

Knowledge management, problem solving and performance in top Italian firms

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniele Giampaoli ◽  
Massimo Ciambotti ◽  
Nick Bontis
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Problem ◽  
Creative Problem Solving ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Management Practices ◽  
Creative Problem

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically test the link between knowledge management practices, problem-solving processes and organizational performance. Design/methodology/approach This study uses survey data from 112 leading Italian companies. To test the structural relations of the research model, we used the partial least squares method. Findings Results show a strong relationship between knowledge management practices and intermediate activities of creative problem solving and problem-solving speed. In addition, creative problem solving has a direct impact on both organizational and financial performances, whereas problem-solving speed has a direct effect only on financial performance. Research limitations/implications The focus on top Italian firms limits the generalizability of results. Practical implications This study provides empirical evidence of the importance of knowledge management practices for problem-solving activities and firm performance. Originality/value The present paper fills an important gap in the extant literature by conceptualizing and empirically testing the relationship between knowledge management, problem-solving processes (creative problem solving and problem-solving speed) and firm performance. This study is the first ever to study these relationships within the Italian context.

Managerial creative problem solving and the Big Five personality traits

2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 674-684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nils Myszkowski ◽  
Martin Storme ◽  
Andrés Davila ◽  
Todd Lubart
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Big Five ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Openness To Experience ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Creative Problem Solving ◽  
Creative Potential ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managerial Task ◽  
Creative Problem

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide new elements to understand, measure and predict managerial creativity. More specifically, based on new approaches to creative potential (Lubart et al., 2011), this study proposes to distinguish two aspects of managerial creative problem solving: divergent-exploratory thinking, in which managers try to generate several new solutions to a problem; and convergent-integrative thinking, in which managers select and elaborate one creative solution. Design/methodology/approach – In this study, personality is examined as a predictor of managerial creative problem solving: On one hand, based on previous research on general divergent thinking (e.g. Ma, 2009), it is hypothesized that managerial divergent thinking is predicted by high openness to experience and low agreeableness. On the other hand, because efficient people management involves generating satisfying and trustful social interactions, it is hypothesized that convergent-integrative thinking ability is predicted by high agreeableness. In all, 137 adult participants completed two divergent-exploratory thinking managerial tasks and two convergent-integrative thinking managerial task and the Big Five Inventory (John and Srivastava, 1999). Findings – As expected, divergent-exploratory thinking was predicted by openness to experience (r=0.21; p<0.05) and agreeableness (r=−0.22; p<0.05) and the convergent-integrative thinking part of managerial creative problem solving was predicted by agreeableness (r=0.28; p<0.001). Originality/value – Contrary to most research on managerial creativity (e.g. Scratchley and Hakstian, 2001), the study focuses (and provides measure guidelines) on both divergent and convergent thinking dimensions of creative potential. This study replicates and extends previous results regarding the link between personality (especially agreeableness) and managerial creativity.

Collective Creative Problem Solving in Information Technology Distributed Work Teams

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 63-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwendolyn Stubbs ◽  
Timothy Baghurst
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Work Teams ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Creative Problem Solving ◽  
Distributed Work ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Geographically Dispersed ◽  
Creative Solutions ◽  
Creative Problem

Today's evolving business environment requires that organizations combine the talents of diverse and dispersed individuals to develop creative solutions to complex problems. One such emerging concept used by successful organizations to leverage the diverse talents of dispersed individuals is collective creative problem solving (CCPS) in distributed work teams. The purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of the nature and motivating factors of CCPS in geographically dispersed teams. This goal was accomplished through examining information technology (IT) distributed work teams in a U.S. federal IT organization. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 21 IT specialists to explore the perceptions and lived experiences regarding CCPS of team leaders and team members in IT distributed work teams. Five core themes emerged: (a) developing a strategy to facilitate CCPS in distributed work teams, (b) using team interaction to stimulate CCPS, (c) motivating team members to engage in CCPS, (d) leading CCPS from a distance, and (e) using technology to achieve CCPS in distributed work teams. Based on the conclusions drawn from the study's findings, recommendations are provided for leaders and practitioners to leverage the full capabilities of CCPS in dispersed work environments.

Metaphorical creativity: an aspect of everyday creativity cleans-up a work-based problem

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederik Hertel ◽  
Michelle Wicmandy
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Analogical Reasoning ◽  
Face Validity ◽  
Creative Problem Solving ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Everyday Creativity ◽  
Creative Problem ◽  
Participatory Observation

Purpose According to Mumford et al. (2018), case studies illustrating creative-problem solving at work is lacking. To help fill this gap, this study aims to show how metaphorical creativity was integrated in the realm of everyday creativity to form a new soap that solves a cleaning crew's challenge. Design/methodology/approach Participatory observation was the qualitative methodology used to conduct this study. The cleaning team understood they were the research participants under investigation in the food plant. Participatory observation favored an efficient and flexible process for the cleaners to demonstrate their experiential knowledge while the researchers documented the cleaners' routine cleaning practices and challenges. Directly observing and analyzing the cleaners' everyday creative acts inferred face validity. This ensured to a degree that the study was effective at exploring everyday creativity. Findings Following Finke's Geneplore model in creative cognition (Birdsell, 2019), the consultant shifted between cycles of analogical reasoning in the generative process with exploratory processes to test hypothesis and tailor his thinking. Through this process, the consultant leveraged everyday creativity to develop a small innovation of foaming a non-foaming soap. The foaming process changed the soap's chemistry, enabling the cleaners to remove the spot quickly, accelerating the cleaning process. Research limitations/implications According to Mumford et al. (2018), case studies illustrating creative-problem solving at work are lacking. In this study, we aim to show how metaphorical creativity was integrated into the realm of everyday creativity to form a new soap that solves an industrial cleaning crew's challenge. To fully understand the variety of metaphorical creativity more qualitative cases need to be analyzed and qualitative research is needed to grasp the scale of metaphorical creativity in everyday creativity. Practical implications The findings gleaned from this study are beneficial to help organizations solve problems. Viewing problems metaphorically in everyday creativity involves unconventional thinking. When confronted with a challenge that seems impossible to solve, employees should approach the problem from a different angle. Sometimes, a small, innovative act can solve problems that appear hopeless, similar to the Columbus Principle. After all, a challenge is only simple once you know how to pull it off – the triumph is having the courage to try something new and succeeding. With practice, metaphorical creativity is a skill that one can develop. This could e.g. be viewing old problems through a new lens. Applying a new approach may reveal an unconventional solution. Originality/value According to Mumford et al. (2018), case studies illustrating creative-problem solving at work are lacking. To help fill this gap, this study aims to show how metaphorical creativity was integrated into the realm of everyday creativity to form a new soap that solves a cleaning crew's challenge.

Techniques to enhance creative thinking

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 62-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elspeth McFadzean
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Creative Problem Solving ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Innovative Solutions ◽  
Innovative Products ◽  
Common Technique ◽  
Creative Problem

In order to develop more innovative products, process and services, organisations must encourage their employees to think more creatively. One method of achieving this is to encourage teams to utilise creative problem‐solving (CPS) techniques. There is a variety of different CPS techniques. Perhaps the most common technique utilised is that of brainstorming. This, however, does not necessarily produce novel and innovative solutions. The purpose of this article is to explore creative problem solving and to present a model that can help facilitators and team members choose an appropriate technique for their situation. The model has divided creative problem solving into three categories, namely paradigm preserving techniques, paradigm stretching techniques and paradigm breaking techniques. The article discusses these three categories and presents some examples of their use.

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