Creativity and innovation are important for organizations but can be stifled by various factors. Creativity involves imaginative processes that create original and valuable outcomes, while innovation implements new ideas. Studies show children's creativity peaks at age 4 but then declines as parents and society discourage natural creative tendencies. To foster creativity, organizations should create an inspiring atmosphere without fear of failure, value contributions over hours worked, offer opportunities for play, and encourage meaningful collaboration over just completing tasks efficiently. Physical and social environments also impact creativity. Sustainability practices can benefit organizations through competitive advantages and satisfying social pressures from customers.

1. Innovation and Creativity in the
Workplace

2. • Interchangeable in today's vernacular However,
• Creativity = capability or act of conceiving something
original or
• Unusual Innovation = the implementation of something
new
• Innovation is ultimately resultant of creativity!
Creativity vs. Innovation

3. • "Imaginative processes with outcomes that are original
and of value"...A process involving "many contributing
factors and an interaction of essential elements"...

4. • Value placed on creative employees has increased
• Creative ability manifests in different ways in different
employees
• Complex and mysterious

5. • Family, politics and world affairs can stifle creativity as
they misdirect focus Company policies, procedures &
culture “ when creativity is stifled, the organization cannot
function to its full potential”

6. • Study measured IQ, spatial, visual, social, and emotional
intelligence of infants and young children They reached
genius level up to age 4Results dropped after age 4;
parents and society send messages which cover up our
own natural tendencies for creativity

7. • 1. Create an atmosphere conducive to inspiration &
success Fear of failure blocks creativity, but failure can
lead to breakthrough2. Value contribution over time put in
Measuring performance on results Employees might
work better in an unconventional working environment
(e.g. at night or alone)
• 3. Separating business from being busy Offering
opportunities to "play" and engage in leisure activities
Learning and stimulation closely linked with creativity4.
The optimal physical environment Colours, decor,
pictures & paintings, plants Music Floor plan Lighting5.
Encouraging meaningful collaboration than "just getting it
done“ Leave policies and typical company systems at the
door Connection of team members and the free
exchange of ideas is key

8. • Meditation area
• Inter-level Slide
• Nap pod

9. • Person
• Place
• Product (Outcomes)
• Process

10. • Tangible Environment Physical space = catalyst for
creativity Communal vs. private space
• Intangible Environment A non-creative environment is
spiritually dead and often oppressive

11. • Refers to outcomes of creativity Innovative ideas and
concepts

13. • People must be motivated in order to be creative, (Swede
1993)Higher levels of creativity come from intrinsic
motivation (from within)Extrinsic reward (including
encouragement) can work

14. • Extraordinary effort & dedication to doing the Persistence
in the face of difficulty Not only about inspiration, but
HARD WORK This can lead to creativity

15. • Need to be knowledgeable in a field to be able to make a
creative contribution to it. e.g. making creative theories in
quantum physics is quite different from that required for
creativity in music Foster skill by identifying key skills
needed and developing employees talents

16. • Without imagination, only reshuffling of information takes
place (nothing innovative or new)Fluency, flexibility and
originality To actively engage imagination: creative
writing, evoke curiosity & interest (e.g. with new
concepts), use creative thinking styles (e.g. problem
solving)

17. • Ability to face challenges, make mistakes and take risks
Perseverance in the face of obstacles OK with being the
minority Bosses should encourage risk taking,
confidence and office respect

18. • Triple Bottom Line
• Managers attitudes: consider as a long term investment,
not an immediate cost
• Social pressure - customers can force companies to
implement sustainable practices

19. • Triple Bottom Line – A Report- Detailed look at the
company's impact on communities worldwide, both
progress made and areas where the it remains
dissatisfied. - Key performance measurements -
Establishes sustainability goals that the company is
committed to meeting by a certain point in time

20. • BENEFIT - COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Firms will be at
a competitive disadvantage if they do not pay attention to
sustainability issues Lash and Wellington (2007)Widely
agreed that environmentally conscious and ecologically-
friendly business strategies can generate important
competitive advantages and superior financial
performance for companies Sustainability and efficiency
are not rival concepts (Tsai and Hung, 2009)Education at
different levels (market & consumer) stimulates the
adoption of sustainable practices and increases the
benefits obtained by such practices

21. • • Case example:- switch to 30 percent recycled paper, -
change default printer margins on all college computers, -
install printer management software on all college computers,
- change default settings on all printers and copiers to duplex
(double-sided copies)- install EcoFont on all computers and
set it as the default font. The combined impact of these
recommendations implemented in unison would reduce the
college's paper and ink purchases and result in:- 39 percent
cost savings over current methods, - 151 cases of paper
(instead of the current 251 cases),- 26 laser ink cartridges and
toner (instead of the current 30 cartridges).The environmental
benefits of implementing these recommendations would
be:87.3 trees saved,11.3 tons of wood saved,16,659 pounds
of CO2 emissions prevented,57,753.6 gallons of water saved,
33,449.9 kilowatts of electricity saved, 6,985.7 pounds of solid
waste prevented.

22. Thank you
Q&A
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