Perceptions of the Best and Worst Climates for Creativity: Preliminary Validation Evidence for the Situational Outlook Questionnaire

This article reports the results of 2 studies conducted to examine the ability of the Situational Outlook Questionnaire(tm) (SOQ) to effectively discern climates that either encourage or discourage creativity and the ability to initiate change. The purpose of the studies is to examine the concurrent criterion-related validity of the SOQ. The climate for creativity and change is defined, and the context for the use of the measure in organizational settings is established through the development of a model for organizational change. The article presents the history of the SOQ's development and gives a description of the SOQ. The methodology and results of both studies, including 3 groups, are reported. The results of both studies show that when individuals complete the SOQ based on their recollection of a best- and worst-case work experience, the measure is able to consistently and significantly discriminate between the 2 types of experiences. Conclusions, implications, and areas for future research to further examine the validity of the SOQ are explored.

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