New Product Creativity Mediating the Relationship Between Organizational Bricolage and the Competitive Advantage of SMEs

It is well-documented in literature that one major challenge facing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) is resource constraints. This affects SMEs’ potential for innovation, as innovation is resource-intensive. To survive the competition, it is expedient that SMEs find more creative and innovative ways to operate. This present study sought to ascertain how SMEs could adopt a bricolage strategy to achieve a competitive advantage. The study also sought to determine the mediating role of new product creativity in this relationship, which formed a key contribution. Data was gathered from 334 SMEs using a simple random sampling technique. The data was analyzed using the covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) approach in Amos (v.23). Various validity and reliability tests were run before testing the significance of the various hypotheses of the study. It was concluded that bricolage had a direct positive effect on SMEs’ competitive advantage. Bricolage further had a direct positive impact on new product creativity, whiles new product creativity had a direct positive effect on SMEs’ competitive advantage. It was also realized that creativity had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between bricolage and SMEs’ competitive advantage. Although this study did not directly assess the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on business operations, the data for the study was gathered during the pandemic period, as such, the results of this present study could offer some practical clues on how firms could achieve competitive advantage during the outbreak of pandemics.

The Application of Innovation Visual Animation Media (VAM) at Electrical in Automotive Vocational Education

The purpose of this study is to apply the concept of learning to electricity in the automotive sector based on visual animation media (VAM) as a creative learning product and to assess learning products. One shoot case study was chosen as the research design. A total of 25 participants were involved in the VAM evaluation. Data collection uses product assessment sheets based on creativity, appearance, and product content validity. The results showed that it consisted of three important aspects, namely “mastery” of learning materials, “creative”, and “artistic”. Product creativity as an output is categorized as creative enough, the product display is quite good, and 64% of the products meet the content validity requirements, while 36% do not meet the exact criteria.

Strategy For Development of Orchid Ornamental Plant (Case Study of UPTD BBIH, Amoito Village, Ranomeeto District, South Konawe Regency)

This study aims to determine the strategy for developing ornamental orchids in UPTD BBIH, Amoito Village, Ranomeeto District, South Konawe Regency. This research is a case study on ornamental orchid plants determined on purpose (purposive sampling). Data analysis used the SWOT Analysis to determine the criteria and prospect alternatives that are the most priority for ornamental orchid plants. Based on the results of the identification of internal and external factors that determine the prospects for the development of ornamental orchids at UPTD BBIH, Amoito Village, Ranomeeto District, Konawe Selatan Regency, internal factors were found, namely the absence of technical guidance for workers, lack of service facilitation between product messages, using the availability of business capital and utilizing bonus purchase of ornamental plants orchids. While external factors are the lack of labour recruitment, the existence of a marketing network, using online media as promotion, and developing product creativity through exhibitions.

A STUDY ON STUDENT: ASSESSING FOUR CREATIVITY ASSESSMENT METHODS IN PRODUCT DESIGN

This paper asked participants to assess four selected expert-rated Taiwan International Student Design Competition (TISDC) products using four methods: Consensual Assessment Technique (CAT), Creative Product Semantic Scale (CPSS), Product Creativity Measurement Instrument (PCMI), and revised Creative Solution Diagnosis Scale (rCSDS). The results revealed that, between experts and non-experts, the ranking results by the CAT and CPSS were the same, while the ranking results of the rCSDS were different. The CAT, CPSS, and TISDC methods provided the same results indicating that raters may return the same results on creativity assessment, and the results are not affected by the selected methods.If it is necessary to use non-experts to assess creativity and the creativity results are expected to be the same with that of experts, asking non-expert raters to use CPSS to assess creativity and then ranking the creativity score is more reliable. The study offers a contribution to the creativity domain on deciding which methods may be more reliable from a comparison perspective.

Product Creativity as an Identity Issue: Through the Eyes of New Product Development Team Members

In this study, we introduce a concept of product identification that denotes the overlap between identities of a new product and its developer. As creativity is the most important identity dimension in the new product, we draw on two dimensions of creativity: novelty and meaningfulness. According to the argument that novelty represents exploration, whereas meaningfulness represents exploitation, we hypothesize that product novelty is associated with an explorative behavior of new product team members, while product meaningfulness is associated with exploitative behavior. More importantly, product identification is proposed as the mechanism that explains the amplification effect of product identity on team members. Based on survey data collected from 200 Japanese new product development (NPD) team members, we conduct a statistical analysis to test the hypotheses. The findings demonstrate the alignment between the identity of a new product and the behaviors of the NPD members, which is amplified by product identification but not by organizational identification.

Cognitive biases' influence on employees' product creativity and product performance: evidences from Italian manufacturing technology firms

PurposeThis paper aims to empirically investigate how cognitive biases influence employees' product creativity (EPC) and related product performance. In particular, the paper primarily studies (1) the direct effect of employees' implicit creativity – based on five cognitive biases – and explicit creativity on EPC; and (2) the mediating role of coworkers' heuristic transfer between shared leadership and EPC.Design/methodology/approachData have been obtained from big Italian manufacturing technology firms through a series of online questionnaires that resulted in 555 answers from R&D employees and their direct managers, who are, respectively, involved and responsible for the proposal of manufacturing technology products. The developed four theoretical hypotheses have been tested through correlation analysis, hierarchical regression, mediation analysis and structured equation modelling.FindingsCognitive biases positively influence EPC in manufacturing technology firms, leading to positive product performance. In particular, implicit creative personality better predicts EPC than explicit creative personality; whilst, shared leadership leads to a cognitive convergence among co-workers through the spread of heuristics that positively influence EPC.Originality/valueThe originality of this work lies in having: (1) investigated the influence of cognitive biases in creativity, (2) hypothesized and proved that co-workers' heuristic transfer mediates the relationship between shared leadership and EPC; (3) conducted the first specific study on employees' creativity in manufacturing technology firms; and (4) first implemented the implicit creative personality measurement, apart from those who conceptualized it.

The Impact of Entrepreneurial Orientation on New Product Creativity, Competitive Advantage and New Product Performance in SMEs: The Moderating Role of Corporate Life Cycle

The current study aims to empirically examine the effect of entrepreneurial orientation on new product creativity, competitive advantage, and new product performance. Data are collected from 424 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in South Korea. The suggested hypotheses are tested through the structural equation modeling technique. The analysis outcome shows that entrepreneurial orientation has a significant positive effect on both new product (NP) novelty and new product meaningfulness. The study further finds that both new product novelty and meaningfulness have significant positive impacts on competitive advantage, respectively, while the latter has a significant positive effect on new product performance. Similarly, the study finds that corporate life cycle significantly moderates the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and new product meaningfulness. The study offers practical and theoretical insights into understanding entrepreneurship dynamics, new product creativity, and new product performance. The research shows that SME managers must adopt an entrepreneurial orientation at an early stage in the life cycle.