Multidimensional Approach to Detecting Creative Potential in Managers

Creativity is increasingly recognized as a key component to success in the workplace. This article explores the detection of creative potential in managers. In a first part, creative potential is defined and a multivariate approach concerning the psychological resources for creativity is presented. Then, in a second part, an application of this approach to the detection of creative potential of managers is proposed, with two empirical illustrations. The profile of cognitive and conative characteristics associated with creative managers is examined and contrasted with the profile for a different line of work, creative design. In a further study, managers completed several creative thinking divergent production tasks, the results of which showed some task specificity. Thus, the profile for managerial creativity varies, to some extent, with the kind of managerial task, rather than being a general ability.

[1]  Jim Euchner.  Design , 2014, Catalysis from A to Z.

[2]  R. Sternberg.  Componential Models of Creativity , 2020, Encyclopedia of Creativity.

[3]  Alane Jordan Starko.  Models of the Creative Process , 2013 .

[4]  Lisa Olsson,et al.  Creativity-Stimulating Leadership: A Critical Incident Study of Leaders' Influence on Creativity in Research Groups , 2011 .

[5]  Alexander Serenko,et al.  Rigor and Relevance: The Application of The Critical Incident Technique to Investigate Email Usage , 2010, J. Organ. Comput. Electron. Commer..

[6]  A Model of Values-Based Shared Leadership and Sustainable Performance , 2010 .

[7]  M. Lorenzen.  Creativity in context : Content, cost, chance and collection in the organization of the film industry , 2009 .

[8]  Mark Batey,et al.  Personality and ability predictors of the ''Consequences" Test of divergent thinking in a large non-student sample , 2009 .

[9]  T. Lubart.  The Psychology of Creative Writing: In Search of the Writer's Creative Process , 2009 .

[10]  T. Lubart,et al.  Creativity and economics: current perspectives , 2008 .

[11]  J. Dul,et al.  Can the office environment stimulate a manager's creativity? , 2008 .

[12]  Todd Lubart,et al.  Creativity and tolerance of ambiguity: an empirical study , 2008 .

[13]  Jessica Schluter,et al.  Critical incident technique: a user's guide for nurse researchers. , 2008, Journal of advanced nursing.

[14]  C. Andriopoulos,et al.  Assessing Job Candidates' Creativity: Propositions and Future Research Directions , 2007 .

[15]  Samuel T. Hunter,et al.  Climate for Creativity: A Quantitative Review , 2007 .

[16]  A. Furnham,et al.  Creativity, Intelligence, and Personality: A Critical Review of the Scattered Literature , 2006, Genetic, social, and general psychology monographs.

[17]  Dave Bartram,et al.  The Great Eight competencies: a criterion-centric approach to validation. , 2005, The Journal of applied psychology.

[18]  Dwayne D. Gremler.  The Critical Incident Technique in Service Research , 2004 .

[19]  Michael D. Mumford,et al.  Leading for innovation: Conclusions, issues, and directions , 2004 .

[20]  T. Lubart,et al.  The Generality-Specificity of Creativity: A Multivariate Approach. , 2004 .

[21]  Shane Connelly,et al.  How creative leaders think: Experimental findings and cases , 2003 .

[22]  A. Light,et al.  Critical incident technique and explicitation interviewing in studies of information behavior , 2003 .

[23]  M. Mumford,et al.  Divergent Thinking, Intelligence, and Expertise: A Test of Alternative Models , 2002 .

[24]  Sharon Bailin.  CREATIVITY IN CONTEXT , 2002 .

[25]  Michael T. Brannick,et al.  Job analysis : methods, research, and applications for human resource management in the new millennium , 2002 .

[26]  Robert J. Sternberg,et al.  The Creativity Conundrum: A Propulsion Model of Kinds of Creative Contributions , 2001 .

[27]  T. Lubart.  Models of the Creative Process: Past, Present and Future , 2001 .

[28]  A. Ralph Hakstian,et al.  The Measurement and Prediction of Managerial Creativity , 2001 .

[29]  Dennis R. Brophy.  Comparing the Attributes, Activities, and Performance of Divergent, Convergent, and Combination Thinkers , 2001 .

[30]  M. Mumford.  Managing Creative People: Strategies and Tactics for Innovation , 2000 .

[31]  R. Tett,et al.  Development and Content Validation of a "Hyperdimensional" Taxonomy of Managerial Competence , 2000 .

[32]  Michael D. Mumford,et al.  Assessment of leader problem-solving capabilities. , 2000 .

[33]  Edwin A. Fleishman,et al.  Development and evaluation of cognitive and metacognitive measures for predicting leadership potential , 2000 .

[34]  Martin L. Bink,et al.  Cognitive Regularities in Creative Activity , 2000 .

[35]  Gregory J. Feist.  A Meta-Analysis of Personality in Scientific and Artistic Creativity , 1998, Personality and social psychology review : an official journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

[36]  Michael D. Mumford,et al.  Domain-Based Scoring in Divergent-Thinking Tests: Validation Evidence in an Occupational Sample , 1998 .

[37]  M. Field.  Defying the Crowd: Cultivating Creativity in a Culture of Conformity , 1996 .

[38]  Steven M. Smith,et al.  The creative cognition approach. , 1995 .

[39]  Samuel B. Pond,et al.  MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: AN ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL ASSESSMENT CENTER DIMENSIONS? , 1994 .

[40]  T. Lubart,et al.  CHAPTER 10 – Creativity , 1994 .

[41]  Teresa M. Amabile,et al.  ? + ? = creativity. , 2018, Public health nursing.

[42]  David D. Van Fleet,et al.  Theory and research on leadership in organizations. , 1992 .

[43]  Fred Luthans,et al.  Successful vs. Effective Real Managers , 1988 .

[44]  Sidney Gael.  The Job analysis handbook for business, industry, and government , 1988 .

[45]  Gary P. Latham,et al.  THE DEVELOPMENT OF BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATION SCALES FOR APPRAISING THE PERFORMANCE OF FOREMEN , 1979 .

[46]  Bengt-Erik Andersson,et al.  Studies in the reliability and validity of the critical incident technique. , 1964 .

[47]  G. Forehand.  Assessments of innovative behavior: Partial criteria for the assessment of executive performance. , 1963 .

[48]  J. C. Flanagan.  Psychological Bulletin THE CRITICAL INCIDENT TECHNIQUE , 2022 .