What's Stifling Creativity at Coolburst
What’s Stifling
Creativity
At
September 20, 2008
Case One
Team Three
Pauline Respress, Denise Wilson,
Matt Harden and Allen Linton Executive Summary
CoolBurst is a conservative company which undermines creativity in an effort to maximize production and control. The company values its traditional culture, has a “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” philosophy, and does not view innovation as a normal part of business. By not capitalizing on the ingenious creations by Sam Jenkins and Carol Velez, CoolBurst missed the mark of the changing needs of its current and potential customers, and lost some of its market share to competitors. Its’ structure, culture, policies and practices, reward system and management style paralyze creative innovation and motivation. In order to lead change in an organization, managers need a clear vision and methodology that includes understanding his/her company, market, customers, and employees (Kelley, 2001). As CoolBurst’s newly appointed CEO, Luisa Reboredo can transform the company into a learning and innovative organization by championing good ideas and providing moral support for her employees. A nurturing and innovative environment can be created by adjusting CoolBurst’s culture of command, compartmentalization and control to an environment that welcomes new ideas and ways of doing things. The transformation should involve enriching the physical environment, improving internal communication, employing the right people, encouraging cross-fertilization of functional units, and implementing a rewards system. Improving workplace practices and conditions can influence all three components of creativity: expertise, creative-thinking skills, and motivation. Luisa must also provide a new focus and encourage commitment by adjusting her management style to incorporate the six categories of managerial practices that affect creativity: challenge, freedom, resources, work-group
Creativity
At
September 20, 2008
Case One
Team Three
Pauline Respress, Denise Wilson,
Matt Harden and Allen Linton Executive Summary
CoolBurst is a conservative company which undermines creativity in an effort to maximize production and control. The company values its traditional culture, has a “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” philosophy, and does not view innovation as a normal part of business. By not capitalizing on the ingenious creations by Sam Jenkins and Carol Velez, CoolBurst missed the mark of the changing needs of its current and potential customers, and lost some of its market share to competitors. Its’ structure, culture, policies and practices, reward system and management style paralyze creative innovation and motivation. In order to lead change in an organization, managers need a clear vision and methodology that includes understanding his/her company, market, customers, and employees (Kelley, 2001). As CoolBurst’s newly appointed CEO, Luisa Reboredo can transform the company into a learning and innovative organization by championing good ideas and providing moral support for her employees. A nurturing and innovative environment can be created by adjusting CoolBurst’s culture of command, compartmentalization and control to an environment that welcomes new ideas and ways of doing things. The transformation should involve enriching the physical environment, improving internal communication, employing the right people, encouraging cross-fertilization of functional units, and implementing a rewards system. Improving workplace practices and conditions can influence all three components of creativity: expertise, creative-thinking skills, and motivation. Luisa must also provide a new focus and encourage commitment by adjusting her management style to incorporate the six categories of managerial practices that affect creativity: challenge, freedom, resources, work-group
References: Amabile, T. M. (Sept.–Oct. 1998). How to Kill Creativity. Harvard Business Review, 77-87. DeGraff, J. and Bacevice, P. (Sept. 1, 2006). Making Innovation Work in Your Workplace. Retrieved on September 5, 2008 from http://www.careerjournal.com/hrcenter/astd/features/20060901-astd.html. Florida, R. and Goodnight, J. (July-Aug. 2005). Managing for Creativity. Harvard Business Review, 125-131. Harvard Business School Press (2006). Creativity and Creative Groups: Two Keys to Innovation. Excepted from Managing Creativity and Innovation, Chapter 6, Boston, MA. Harvard Business School Press (2006) Heathfield, S. M. (2008). Top Ten Ideas for Recruiting Great Candidates. Retrieved on September 16, 2008 from http://humanresources.about.com/cs/recruiting/a/candidatepool.htm. Hughes, G. D. (Summer 2003). Add Creativity to Your Decision Processes. The Journal for Quality and Participation, 5-13. Jacobs, Steve (2008). Chief Financial Officer of King & Spalding, LLP. (Interview) Kelley, T Paul, D. (2008). The Pitfalls of Micromanaging. Retrieved on September 10, 2008 from http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/douglas-paul/dig-deeper-reach-higher-be-great/pitfalls-micromanaging. Weis, R. (Feb. 2001). How to Foster Creativity at Work. Training and Development, 61-65. Wetlaufer, S. (Sept.-Oct. 1997). What’s Stifling Creativity at CoolBurst? Harvard Business Review, 36-51